Star Fox: Desperate Measures
by LilGstryker
Summary: The Lylat is once again threatened by a powerful alien race, one that Lylatians have long since forgotten existed... I've edited a few chapters to make the story flow better.Chapter 11 is up, and I've sorta updated my profile, so check it.
1. I: Acceptance

**Star Fox **

_**Desperate Measures**_

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of Star Fox, all that stuff.**

**This takes place a little after the Sauria incident. Hope you enjoy my first fan-fic.**

**Just to get things started, this is the replacement of the Assault. This means that Oikonni's rebellion never happened, and the Aparoid invasion never happened. I'm telling you this so you won't get confused. In Assault, Fox and Krystal barely had a relationship, but in my story their relationship is far more progressed. For example, it wouldn't make sense for them to, say, become a couple, and then in Assault they barely talk to each other. Hopefully you get that.**

**Chapter 1**

**A C C E P T A N C E**

It has been a month since the Star Fox team narrowly defeated the evil emperor Andross and saved Sauria, the dinosaur planet, from total destruction. Fox McCloud, courageous leader of the Star Fox team, had invited Krystal, the beautiful blue-furred vixen, to stay with them. Little did Fox and Krystal know that they both had developed feelings for each other, ever since Fox released her from the crystal prison on Sauria. Krystal was thankful that he had allowed her to stay. She was glad that Fox was a kind-hearted person; otherwise she would probably be out in space, wandering aimlessly like she had been before the distress call on Sauria. Krystal had been pondering about whether Fox loved her or not. Fox had been thinking about what events the future might hold and became nervous just thinking about. As the month went by, their feelings for each other grew stronger and stronger, but both were unaware of how they felt about each other.

Krystal was looking out the window in her room, watching as the stars danced and twinkled as they passed by. She then heard a knock on her door. "Come in," she softly said. The door hissed quietly as it opened, and an orange-furred vulpine walked in. "Hey Krystal," he greeted. "Oh, hi Fox," she replied. Fox noticed that she was just gazing out into the infinite void of space.

"Beautiful, isn't it? I thought the same when my father took me into space for the first time."

She nodded and agreed with Fox. "Anyways," Fox continued, "I have a very important question for you." Krystal's ears perked as she listened to Fox.

"Um, I guess I'll get straight to the point. Krystal, would you like join team Star Fox?" Krystal was surprised at what she had just heard. Fox had expected that.

"Wow, Fox...I don't know what to say...Are you sure about this?" Fox heard the worry in her voice.

"Trust me, I've been thinking this over. You do outstanding in the simulations. You have some great talent."

After a moment of silence, Krystal suddenly shouted, "I'd love to join the team, Fox!" She jumped up and gave Fox a tight hug. Realizing what she had just done, she backed off.

"Sorry about that, I'm just really excited," she said with embarrassment. When she blushed, her cheeks appeared a violet color because of the cerulean fur she had.

Fox was surprised at her action and the emphatic response from her. "It's, uh… It's alright," he stuttered. _Wow, didn't expect that coming, _Fox thought. He continued on to perform the ceremony of acceptance into the team.

"Now, I, Fox McCloud, accept you into the team Star Fox." He reached into his pocket and took out a small, golden object. It was the famous Star Fox insignia. On it was the name 'Krystal'. He helped her up from her bed, and then handed it to her.

"Welcome to the team, Krystal." He smiled as Krystal took the insignia, and she smiled back.

_Come on, stupid! This is a perfect opportunity! We've known each other long enough, well, I think. Say something!_

"Um, Krystal…There's….There's something else I wanted to say." Fox was blushing, but his orange fur hid the redness that formed in his cheeks.

"Yes, Fox?" She replied, completely unaware of what he was about to say.

_Well, here goes nothing. _He gulped nervously before speaking. "I… I just wanted to tell you that-"

Suddenly, Fox's communicator beeped, and then the screen turned on. It was none other than the droid ROB, who has helped manage the Great Fox ever since Fox's father James McCloud had the ship.

Fox rolled his eyes. _Wow, what great timing. Dammit, ROB! _ "This is ROB," the robot said with a monotone voice. General Pepper would like to see us at Corneria. He has an urgent message for us." Fox looked at ROB, puzzled.

_Hmm, I wonder what's wrong now,_ Fox thought. "Okay, set course for Corneria," he commanded. "Affirmative. ROB out." ROB's face disappeared as the communicator deactivated.

"Looks like Pepper might have another job for us," he informed Krystal. "I'm going to tell the others. You should come too. They don't know yet that you are a Star Fox member now, so let's surprise them." Fox grinned, and Krystal smiled. They left the room and headed to the bridge. As they turned the corner, Krystal looked at Fox.

"Fox?" The vulpine looked over to her. "Yeah, Krystal?"

She smiled warmly. "I'm honored to be part of a great team. Thank you so much."

Her smile made Fox melt inside. "Um…Oh, it's uh, its no problem…" Fox's stutter made Krystal giggle.

_I can't believe this! Fox asked me to become a member of the team! He's such a gentleman. Oh, Fox... I just wonder when I can tell you how I feel... But what if he doesn't feel the same about me? No, I need to think positively. _

_I'm honored that a beautiful vixen like Krystal agreed to be part of the team. I mean, I can't believe she actually agreed! I shouldn't have worried that should wouldn't. Man, what if she said no? Ah, I shouldn't think about it. She's on the team, and that's all that matters. Stupid ROB, I had the chance. Hmm, I wonder when I will be able tell her how I feel about her..._

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A few days after the Sauria mission, the team headed for Corneria. Slippy once again became a pilot, and with the addition of Krystal, the number of pilots increased to the original number of four. The Great Fox was completely overhauled, and it now had a very sleek design, and was overall a much better ship than the old Great Fox. The back entrance was scraped because Fox thought that after awhile it didn't really help as much as it did eight years ago. Overall increased speed, upgraded shielding and weapon power made Fox a happy mercenary. Unfortunately the ship didn't quite satisfy Slippy. A number of things bothered him, such as the problems with the weapon system. He complained that the plasma cannons took too long to charge. He also did not like how the cannon re-routed power from other turrets to charge, rendering the turrets temporarily useless. So of course, being Slippy, he resolved to fix the problem.

Star Fox also received the new model Mark III Arwings. The Mark III Arwings, designed by the Aeroflight Company, also had a very sleek design. It had a sharper image, much better than the old Mark 2.5 Arwing used during the Sauria mission. The newest version of G-Diffusers, provided by, of course, Aeroflight, gave the fighter greater speed, flexibility, and maneuverability. The Mark III had advanced power shields, one of the most powerful shielding rates for fighters in the Lylat. The weapon system was outstanding; almost four times the strength of the Mark 2.5 Arwing. This new ship could also hold more Nova Bombs, which have a homing ability.

After walking through the metallic corridors of the Great Fox, Fox and Krystal arrived at the bridge, where ROB was typing commands. He greeted ROB, and then went over to the intercom. "Attention: All members please report to the bridge." A few minutes later, Slippy Toad, the irreplaceable engineer and best friend of Fox, came scrambling in. Along with him came Falco Lombardi, the avian ace pilot of the team who is a cocky but loyal friend, and Peppy Hare, retired pilot of Star Fox and father figure to Fox.

"So Fox, what's the situation?" asked the calm hare.

"Yeah, I'm eager for another scrap, it's been forever since I've done anything exciting." Falco lazily announced. Fox began his explanation.

"First of all, I'm proud to announce that Krystal is now a member of Star Fox. I just asked her and she agreed. She's done outstanding in the testing we've done." Everyone had a surprised expression on their face.

"Well, welcome to the team, Krystal," said Slippy. As Falco and Peppy went to shake her hand and congratulate her, Fox thought quietly to himself. _Seems that they agree with this. _

"…And now for the second piece of news." The team stopped talking and turned around to give their attention to Fox. He continued on. "General Pepper wants us to come see him at Corneria. Whatever he wants, it's urgent. I'm just wondering why he didn't tell us what this sudden urgent call was all about."

Peppy thought for a second. "The general probably just wants to talk to us in person, just in case our communications are intercepted and tapped into," the hare concluded.

Falco crossed his arms. "So, he probably wants us to do another mission. That's exactly what I need," he said as he smirked.

"Falco is probably right," Peppy added. "Guess we'll never get a chance to go to that spa back on Corneria now," Peppy said as he chuckled.

As Fox, Falco, and Peppy were discussing future possible events, Slippy went over to computer terminal and started to work on it. After a few minutes, he got the information he needed and proceeded to notify the team. "I calculated the time it would take to get to Corneria," he informed. "From our current location, It'll take about seven hours at max warp speed."

"Thanks Slip. Okay, you can return to what you were doing." Everyone except Krystal and Fox left the bridge. Fox went over to a navigation panel to check the coordinates of the Great Fox. He felt a light tap on his shoulder, and turned to see Krystal. "Fox? I was wondering if you wanted to do face off in a simulation. I've been practicing, and I want to test my abilities."

Fox looked at her with happiness. "Sure thing." They left the bridge and headed to the simulation training room.

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The simulation room was a large room. The walls and the ceiling were a bright white. Against the wall were the five simulator machines, which looked like the cockpit of an Arwing.. Other then that, there really wasn't much in there, besides a few cabinets a sink, a table, and a control panel for the simulation along with a view screen for someone to see what was going on in the simulation. Fox and Krystal walked into this room.

"Okay, let's get into the cockpits and set up the sim," Fox said. They hopped into the cockpits and closed the canopy, then put on a virtual helmet which allows the pilot to actually see the simulation. The inside of the cockpit looked just like a real fighter's cockpit. This made simulations seem a lot more real. After going through the main setup, the simulation started. They appeared over one of Sauria's many regions. This one appeared to be Cape Claw.

"Just to warn you Fox, I've gotten a lot better since last time," Krystal cautioned with a confident voice.

"Well, we'll see about that, I won't go easy." Fox said as he grinned. The two Arwings blasted towards each other and released a barrage of lasers upon each other.

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Personally, I like this better than the version before. I hope you like it better, too.

LilGstryker


	2. II: The Attack

Star Fox

Desperate Measures

By: lilg_stryker

Disclaimer: I do not own any of Star Fox. Too bad for me.

Sorry for the long wait, but now the story must go on.

Thanks, notfromearth7, V-Starfox, The Cursed Cleric and blackrouge123 for the good reviews.

Chapter 2

**T H E**

**A T T A C K**

"Oh crap!" Fox's Arwing shook as another Arwing from behind him hit his backside with a charged shot. Fox didn't expect Krystal to become such a great pilot in a short amount of time. "I guess you did get better," Fox admitted. "What are you at, by the way?"

Krystal looked at her bright green shield indicator. "I'm at 82 percent shielding, how 'bout you?" asked a triumphant Krystal.

_Holy crap! 82 percent?_ "Um, I'm at 65," Fox grumbled. Krystal giggled. "Ahh, looks like the great Fox McCloud is losing to a newcomer," She said amusingly.

"Okay, you wanna play? Let's go!" Fox suddenly braked hard, causing a surprised Krystal to zoom right past him. Then Fox boosted ahead to catch up to her. He held down his trigger to start a charged shot. He knew the charge was complete when he saw the charge indicator was full.

"C'mon, get in range..."He whispered to himself. His viewer screen showed a lock-on. "Gotcha!" He released the trigger, and the glow of energy turned into a powerful red shot, which chased after Krystal. He charged up another one. "Yow! Darn it," Krystal yelled. She was hit again. Krystal tried to dodge the shots, but Fox was always on her tail.

"Alright, here's the finale," Fox whispered to himself. He locked onto Krystal and shot a Nova Bomb. "Here we go."

He shot the bomb, which went straight for Krystal. She was about to pull a loop when she saw a red dot coming towards her on her radar.

"What is...Ah, a Nova Bomb!" Krystal was caught in the circular orange explosion, her ship shaking violently as her shields tried to hold against the blast. When the explosion disappeared, Fox went low, near the waters of Cape Claw. "This will keep me off the radar," he whispered to himself.

Meanwhile, the confused Krystal was flying near the entrance of the temple, trying to locate Fox. _Where is he? _She charged her lasers, waiting to see if they would lock-on to anything. Unfortunately, Fox already got a 'lock-on' onto her ship. He released the trigger, and the shot went zooming towards Krystal. "Whoa!" Krystal yelled as the shot hit her ship.

"Hey, what are you at now?" asked Fox with a playful tone. "62 percent... Darn, I thought I got better too..."

"What are you talking about Krystal? You were doing great. I've just been doin' this stuff for years. Now if you went against Slippy, that's a whole different story..." Krystal giggled when she heard this.

Suddenly, the alarm klaxon went off, and the room was filled with flashing red lights. "Err! Err! Emergency," announced the ships computer. Fox and Krystal felt the Great Fox violently shake.

"What is that?" asked Krystal, covering her hears a bit in an attempt to block out the annoying noise. "That's the Great Fox's alarm!" Fox said with worry. Rob appeared on the simulator comm. screen.

"We have an emergency situation. An unknown battleship has appeared and is releasing fighters." Fox and Krystal felt the Great Fox shake again. "Members Slippy and Falco are currently in the docking bay." The ship once again shook, more violently than the other two. "Krystal! We have to get to the Arwings!" The two jumped out of the simulation cockpits and quickly ran to the docking bay.

"Krystal. Do you think you're ready for your first battle?" asked Fox with seriousness as they approached the bay doors. "Of course! I'm a bit excited too." This was a lie, as Krystal was actually completely nervous, but didn't want Fox to know. She didn't want to have Fox always worrying about her.

They jumped into the Arwings and prepped for launch.

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"Dang it, there's a lot of these guys!" yelled Slippy. "Falco! Help me out a little!"

"Hold your webbed feet! I'm trying to get over there!" said the avian. Suddenly, lasers came in and hit the fighters chasing Slippy, which scrambled them away.

"Sorry we're late!" Fox said. "Hey, about time you guys got here. What took you so long, Foxy? Geez!" said Falco sheepishly.

Ignoring Falco's comment, Fox contacted Peppy. "Peppy, you have any info for us?" he asked. Peppy checked the scan panels.

"I don't know much at the moment, but low power scanners indicate that these ships bear no Lylatian or Venomian resemblance. Whoever they are, they aren't from this system." replied the hare.

_What the hell? Who are these guys?_ Fox fired at one of the ships. "Augh, it looks like it didn't do much damage!" he complained. Slippy ran an advanced scan check on the enemy fighter. The fighters were similar to Cornerian Fighters in shape and size, but that's about where the similarities end. The ships were a slick, silvery color, and the cockpit was nowhere to be seen. Underneath the wings were white G-Diffusers.

"Hey, I got some more info, Fox! They're from Sector 5 of the Alpha Galaxy..." Suddenly, Slippy's scanner displayed numerous errors. "What?"

_**....///errorcd5392._file..._error. Scanner corrupted. **_Slippy tried scanning again. _**Unable to comply: _scan delayed, repair in process.**_

"Darn! The scanner is screwed up! They must have blocked me!" Slippy anxiously said. _What great technology...It would take at the very least a few minutes to disable another fighter's scanner. These guys did it in less then a few seconds. I barely got any info!_

Fox narrowly dodged a few lasers. He then banked right and shot at an enemy, causing it to shake violently. "Hmm... There are a lot of systems in the Sector 5 area! It won't be easy to find out who these guys are." He replied. "Hey Slippy! Watch your tail!" warned Krystal. "Whoa!" he yelped as laser fire hit his ship.

Krystal swept in and destroyed the enemies. Slippy watched as a blur of silver and blue sped past him. "Wow Krystal, you have gotten better!" commented Slippy. "Thank you, Slip-" Krystal was interrupted by some more laser fire. "Argh_!" Guess I can't let my guard down... Not now!_

Falco examined some of the fighters heading his way. "Hey, it looks like they have Twin lasers, and-Crap!" Falco's ship was hit by rapidly fired projectiles. "Apparently mini gatling gun turrets." Falco pulled a really tight loop to avoid enemies tailing behind him. The enemies also tried this maneuver, but failed.

"Looks like they have Normal G-Diffusers." Peppy informed. The old hare scratched at his beard, pondering about the capabilities of these foreign ships. "These ships don't match any fighter classes that I know... They are definitely foreigners."

"Hey Falco! Incoming enemies, 9 o'clock!" Fox told his friend as he pulled his Arwing left to avoid a charged shot. Falco looked to his left, and two of the fighters shot missiles at him. "Crap! Missiles!" He boosted just in time to dodge them.

"Watch it Falco, they're comin' around!" Slippy said. Falco started to spiral up as the missiles came dangerously close to him. "Arghhh!" he yelled. Inevitably the two missiles ended up colliding into each other as Falco spiraled. "That's what it's all about!" He said with a cocky smirk plastered on his face.

Krystal was, in her mind, doing great until an enemy started to fire at her from behind. "Hey!" Remembering all of her training, she started to try and escape from the enemies, pulling off graceful maneuvers. But no matter what she did, Krystal couldn't get the enemy off her tail.

"Shoot!" Her ship was violently rumbling from the incoming fire. She could see lasers as they passed her by. "Oh no, 65 percent! 62!" She frantically yelled as she attempted to ward of her threats.

"Ahh! 50 percent! Fox, help!" She cried out.

Fox immediately pulled a U-turn and sped past numerous enemies, dodging and rolling to avoid the barrage of lasers. Not one caused any damage to him. He wasn't going to let her down. "Hold on! I'm coming, don't give up yet!"

Krystal felt a violent shake, and her ship's computer started to beep. She looked at her ship stability panel, and realized her left gravity blade was gone. "Fox, hurry!"

Suddenly, the ships behind her exploded, and Fox's Arwing could be seen. "Phew, thanks Fox! I thought I was a goner."

"No way am I going to let you or anybody else down." He said with confidence. "Rob! Send down a wing repair!" He commanded.

"Affirmative. Sending supplies." A silver box appeared in front of Krystal. She shot at it, and immediately her gravity blade was restored. "Alright! Back to battle!" Renewed with confidence, she sped ahead to attack the enemy.

_Gawd...There are just too many..._Fox suddenly came up with an idea. "Peppy! Start charging the plasma cannons and target the battleship." Peppy tapped at a few buttons. "Alright, cannons are charging. Estimated time of completion...five minutes."

"Gah, I still need to fix those stupid cannons… The old cannons never took that long…" Slippy mumbled to no one in particular.

Fox gave a nod. "Alright team! Give it everything you got! We have to endure the enemy for five minutes!"

"Damn little...This will teach you a LESSON!" Falco shot a nova bomb, actually destroying several fighters.

"Twenty percent." Notified Peppy. The cannons in front of the Great Fox started to produce a faint glow of yellow. Numerous enemies grouped together and started to make their way toward the Great Fox.

"They're coming towards the Great Fox!" Peppy informed. Although the newly upgraded Great Fox had a good number of defense turrets, most were inactive because of the plasma cannons. However, once the cannons are warmed up they can be fired quickly and successively. The grouped enemies got closer, and although the Great Fox was attempting to destroy them, there were just too many.

"Oh no you don't! I didn't fix that ship up just to get it torn down again!" Slippy flew towards the group with intense speed. He charged up several lasers and released them. The fighters tried scatter, but most were completely obliterated.

"Hey, for once I see some good shots made by the frog boy. You should try to do that more often," Falco cockily taunted. "I do make good shots!" Slippy said, trying to retaliate. "You just never see them..."

"Eighty percent. One more minute 'till the cannons are done." Peppy informed. "So Foxy, What's the plan?" asked the blue avian. "Peppy will fire the cannons at the battleship, which will cause the shields to be disabled, and then once more to destroy it." He told his friend. "Oh shit!" he yelled as one of the enemies almost collided with him.

"Smooth one," Falco smirked. Fox frowned. "Well I'd like to see you-" He was cut off by Peppy's voice.

"100 percent! The cannons are ready." The giant guns glowed with a beautiful, gold like radiance, the energy inside just waiting to burst. "Everyone out of the way of the beam pathway!" The team immediately fell back, close to the right side of the ship. Suddenly, a booming sound came from the cannons as a giant, magnificent beam of plasma burst through the open space. As it screamed towards its target, all of the unfortunate enemies in its path were simply decimated. The beam finally met its target, causing a huge explosion as the battleship was torn to pieces. It was engulfed in flames as it fell apart.

"Yeah!! We did it!" exclaimed a happy toad. "Wait Fox… Didn't you say that we were gonna disable the shields first?" Falco asked. Fox just shrugged. "I guess I underestimated the power of our new, badass Great Fox." Fox gave a relieved sigh. "Phew...Good work team. Those attackers were rough. We need to report this attack to General Pepper ASAP." Fox said as he once more sighed with relief.

"I'm already on it," Peppy said. Fox nodded in affirmation. He then created a private channel with Krystal, who had been strangely quite for a while.

"Are you alright, Krystal? You haven't said anything in a while," he asked.

"I...Wow. I was just contemplating this skirmish we just had, and I can see why you do this for a living! I'll admit, that was a lot more exciting than a simulator match." Krystal was apparently enthralled with the experience she just had.

"Well, I'm glad that you're not hurt, but I can't say the same for your Arwing." Krystal then just realized how battered up the Arwing was.

"Oops... Sorry about that. I'll try to be more careful next time." She had just noticed that one of her wings was just about to fall off, and her engines were smoking just a little. Her top-right G-diffuser gave off an enormous spark of electricity, making it clear that it was damaged. Krystal sort of blushed, embarrassed. Fox smiled. "It's alright. Slippy will fix it up in a jiffy, I'm sure. Hey, wanna race to the docking bay?" He challenged. "You're on!" The two sped towards the entrance to the Great Fox. Falco raised his eyebrow. "Damn, what are they in a hurry for?" He shrugged it off and continued to make his way to the docking bay.

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LilGstryker


	3. III: Information

Star Fox

Star Fox

Desperate Measures

By: LilGstryker

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Fox. Nintendo does. Yah.

Well, I've actually had time to update sooner than I thought! I thank all those who are supporting me with my first fanfic.

Chapter 3

**I N F O R M A T I O N**

Two Arwings raced speedily towards the hanger force field. At the last second, Fox activated his boost, sending him first into the hanger. The force field not only created a transparent barrier between space and the oxygen-rich inner chambers, it also decreased the speed of any ship to safer velocities. This was a safety measure to ensure that a badly damaged or out of control space craft would be able to enter the hangar without crashing into the back wall.

Fox's Arwing immediately was slowed down. Krystal entered the hanger just seconds after, also slowed down. "Yes, I won!" shouted a joyful Fox.

"You're lucky my ship's in bad condition," Krystal said, smiling.

"Yeah, I guess that was sorta unfair. Next time Krystal, it'll be fair and square," Fox assured.

Falco and Slippy entered the hangar soon after. The team maneuvered their and attached themselves to the lift locks. They powered down, and the sound of hydraulics hissed as the cockpit canopies of each Arwing were opened, allowing each team member to jump out. The four team members met as they headed towards the hangar bay doors.

"So, any idea of who those guys were?" asked Falco. Fox shrugged.

"Other than what Slippy said about them coming from the Alpha Galaxy, I'm just as baffled as you are," He told the avian.

"They were tough, and apparently quite smart. They blocked my scan in seconds!" Slippy was clearly annoyed by this event, yet was at the same time fascinated with their technology.

After navigating the corridors of the Great Fox, they appeared at the bridge. The door slid open, and all but Fox sat down in the empty seats of different consoles. Peppy tapped a few keys, and a large screen near the nose of the bridge lowered down. It suddenly activated, showing and image of an old hound in a blood red uniform that had numerous medals pinned onto it.

"Hello, General Pepper. It's good to see you again." Fox said.

"And it is great to see that you are all safe at the moment." Fox raised his eyebrow. "What do you mean, 'safe at the moment.'?" he questioned with interest.

The old hound sighed. "The Lylat is being threatened by an unknown force. Two days ago at 1030 hours, a distress call was picked up. The sender, a Cornerian Class A battleship known as the _Grenberg_ was preparing to land on Katina, when it was destroyed. No one…survived." Fox gasped, startled to hear this. Peppy looked down with a grief-stricken face. "Then yesterday, at 1100 hours we received another transmission by one of three Katinan cruisers patrolling the area. They reported that there were strange activities going on in the vicinity. They were suddenly attacked. One of the Katinan cruisers sent us images of the attacker." General Pepper tapped away on his control panel on his desk and several images of the enemies ships appeared.

The first image was of two large ships, about three times the size of the Great Fox. They had a silver-white color scheme, and the body was shaped like a 'V' with wings protruding from the near center of the body. The bridge was placed near the back of the ship, on top of the body. It appeared that the ships had three engines emerging from the back. Another image showed the same fighter that Star Fox had just battled, with the silver color and white G-Diffusers.

As he studied the design of these ships, Peppy couldn't help but notice that these ships seemed familiar to him. _Where have I seen those dreadnaughts? I recognize them, but I can't seem to figure out where I've seen them…_

"The Katinan cruisers fought valiantly, but in the end it wasn't enough…They were completely decimated. It has been confirmed that not a single crew member survived this horrible attack." Now, even Falco was taken aback by the news. General Pepper looked greatly distressed.

"Fortunately, the Katinan cruiser was able to scan and confirm where these unknown terrors came from before they were destroyed. Right now we are currently studying the images in the hope of figuring out their origins," He explained. "What we have found out so far is that these ships came from-"

"…The Alpha Galaxy, Sector 5." interrupted Slippy. The General cocked his eyebrow, slightly confused.

"Slippy, how did you know this?" he asked with interest.

"We were recently attacked by these same enemies, and barely managed to fend them off," Fox explained to the general. Suddenly the general promptly stood up.

"Where are you at this very moment?" questioned the general quickly.

"We are near Katina right now…Why?" Fox answered, puzzled by Pepper's response.

"Well Fox, don't you find it a bit… odd?" The general began to pace back and forth in his office. "All of these enemy vessels have been attacking our ships that are near Katina, and no where else."

Fox contemplated this fact about the new enemy. "General… Do you think that they are attacking Katinan ships because... They are planning to seize it?"

General Pepper nodded. "Precisely. Katina has always been a strategic place in war. It is why Andross wanted it so desperately during the Lylat Wars."

"Huh, seems like someone's been doin' there homework," Falco said.

"Do we know anything else about these enemies?" asked a worried Slippy. The general thought a moment. "As a matter of fact, I just received data files a few short minutes ago, although I haven't properly examined them yet. The file shows…lets see, Alpha Galaxy, Sector 5… Ah, here we are. They seem to come from a system known as the Garrack System." Pepper's eyes widened as he looked at the file reports.

"What's wrong, general?" asked a worried Krystal, seeing distress in his eyes once more.

"The Teruvians." He said with a hint of despair in his voice. "No…" Peppy then remembered, and he didn't like it one bit. The old hare was also distraught, a frown formed on his face as his heart raced faster. _Oh no…no, it can't be them. This is not good._

_-- _

AN: I know, that was a relatively short chapter, bare with me. The next chapter will be up soon, explaining who these mysterious Teruvians are. ;)


	4. IV: Painful Memories, Pt 1

Star Fox

Star Fox

Desperate Measures

By: LilGstryker

Disclaimer: Star Fox is owned by Nintendo. OC is owned by, of course, me.

Alright, I know the last chapter was a little short, don't get me wrong. But, I guarantee that this chapter will be longer.

(NOTE): General Pepper's first name in my story is Gerald. Just wanted to let ya' know.

Chapter 4

**P A I N F U L  
M E M O R I E S**

**Part 1 **

_This is not good. _Krystal heard a voice ring through her head. She knew that it was Peppy who thought this. She could sense the great stress emanating from him. _Oh, poor Peppy... He must know who these 'Teruvians' are. _Krystal shifted her eyes towards Peppy, and a feeling of sorrow for the hare had struck her.

There was a moment of silence. Fox was puzzled, as was the rest of his team, minus Peppy. "Teruvians?" Fox finally questioned, breaking the empty silence of the room. Krystal suddenly snapped back to reality.

"Who are they? I've never heard of that name before," said Falco, actually interested in the general's response to the name of this unknown race. The general sighed. He looked up to face the team.

"It was long ago…before the Lylat Wars had ever happened. Do you remember the planet _Saturna?"_ the General asked.

Slippy was the first to answer. "Yes, I remember studying about it in school. We didn't study it a lot. Wasn't it destroyed by the dreadful breakdown of its economical system?" He thought a moment. "That and the cataclysmic meteor?"

"That was a cover up story, Slippy. It isn't the truth. The Cornerian government did not want anyone to know how _Saturna _disappeared. That is why you studied so little about it. Let me tell you… The real way it was destroyed…"

_Many years prior to the Lylat Wars…._

A Cornerian cruiser was steadily flying in the empty, black void of space. Its engines were making a soft humming sound as they pushed the ship forwards_._ The ship's white hull reflected off _Solar's _rays, causing the cruiser to shine with pride. On each of side of the ship's hull, the word _Elengale_ could be seen, indicating the name of the beautiful ship.

Inside the bridge, many officers and ship personnel went about doing their work. The _Elengale's _captain was looking at the information panel in front of him.

"Ensign, what is the ETA?" the captain asked a grey wolf. "ETA, four hours, sir." The captain nodded, and the ensign looked back down at his console to continue his work. The captain looked content. Everything was going as planned.

Captain Gerald Pepper and his crew were on their way to planet _Saturna _to deliver space crafts and machinery equipment.

_Saturna _was an average sized planet, about ¾ the size of Corneria. In fact, it was similar to Corneria in many ways. Clouds swirled above in the atmosphere, green and brown lands could be seen when viewed from space, and the sparkling blue ocean was covering about 56 of the planet itself. The capital of the planet, ironically named Capital City, was so large that it could be seen from space. At the heart of Capital City was the Saturna Military Base, one of the largest military bases in the Lylat.

As the captain was thinking about this assignment, a young officer approached him. "Permission to speak, Captain Pepper?" Pepper smirked when he saw who spoke.

"Permission granted, Jarvus." Pepper told his friend in a playful tone. Jarvus chuckled a bit, and then sat down next to Pepper. Lieutenant Commander Lexington Jarvus was the second-in-command on the _Elengale _as well as a very close friend to Pepper.

"So what's going on in the ship?" asked Pepper. Jarvus shrugged.

"Eh, the usual. Ensign Vice almost caught on fire in the Engines Room." Pepper chuckled.

"I swear, that Vice... Remember last week? He almost caused an absolute power failure of the ship." He remarked.

"Ha! I'll never forget what he yelled when the ships lights went out." Both of them laughed. Suddenly Jarvus' wrist communicator beeped. "Yes? Hmm, I see…Alright, I'll be right there." He promptly shut off his communicator. "My help is requested in the power transmitter core section." He casually saluted, then walked away. After Pepper watched his friend leave the bridge, he turned around to look outside via the bridge view port. He watched the stars flicker as the _Elengale_ moved towards its destination. Little did Pepper know that he was going to witness a horrible event in the near future…

A distortion appeared in space. It was moving slowly. Suddenly the distortion began to fluctuate until it took the form of a very large, white and sliver ship. The space around it warped until the ship could be seen clearly and completely.

"My Lord, we are rapidly approaching our target," informed a rough looking reptile with dark green scales. The figure the reptile was talking to was covered in dark shadows. He was sitting at a seemingly black desk, and the lights were dimmed very low. The figure slowly formed a wicked smile. Even though his face couldn't be seen, his sharp, white teeth could be seen almost as plain as day.

"Good. I will be up to the bridge shortly," he replied in a dark voice.

"Yes, My Lord." The reptile bowed, and then exited the room. The mysterious figure put his elbows on the table and put his hands together near his mouth, cupping his hands together.

"…Soon, they will know the strength of our race. Soon, they will suffer in my hands, and will bow down and worship me. They will know our power!! " The shadowy figure's evil laugh filled the room as his ship sped towards its target.

"Captain Pepper, we will be shortly arriving at _Saturna," _a white-coated fox informed.

"Alright, contact the Saturna Base and ask clearance for landing," he commanded.

"Yes sir." The fox went to the communications station to perform the instructions Pepper gave him.

The wolf ensign was studying his console, when suddenly his scanners showed something peculiar. He studied this object closely before mentioning the discovery to his captain.

"Captain Pepper, our scanners are picking up a ship, 2000 kilos away." Peppers face cocked an eyebrow. "Is it Cornerian?"

"We can't identify who it is," the grey wolf notified. "The vessel is blocking our signals."

"Hail them." Pepper said. The wolf's paws swiftly went over the console to establish a connection with the opposing ship, hoping to get some sort of response, but had no results. He nodded slowly, unsatisfied with this outcome. "We can't."

--

A tall figure, wearing a hood, a strange black and azure outfit, and a black cloak walked into the bridge of his ship, which was covered with a dim, red light. His face was inconspicuous due to the weak lighting and his cloak. He went to sit in the captains seat, a black chair that overall looked very comfortable. "My Lord," said one of his ships officers, "We have picked up one of their ships, and are blocking off their signals." The black figure looked uninterested. "We don't need this kind of…annoyance. Charge weapons."

"Yes, my lord." The officer turned to the crew. "

"Captain, they are charging weapons!!" The wolf informed. Pepper was stricken with worry. "Everyone to battle stations! Raise the shield!!" He commanded. The _Elengale's _emergency sirens were activated, and yellow lights flashing all around the ship indicated a possible threat. By now the enemy ship could be seen on the main viewer screen. The ship was clearly twice as large as the _Elengale._

"It's huge…" Pepper was astonished. "Sir, they're hailing us," said the communications officer.

"Open the channel." The officer tapped a few keys, and the main viewer screen showed the mysterious figure of the enemy craft.

"Cornerian ship. Do not attempt to interfere with our objectives. Leave now, or we will destroy you," the figure spoke.

"Who are you??" Pepper questioned. "Identify yourselves, or we'll use force to remove you from the area!" The figure, even if you couldn't see it, smiled, showing his white, razor sharp teeth.

"Ah…You Lylatians are so…demanding. I will warn you once more. Leave, or you will be annihilated." Pepper stood his ground. "I think you are misunderstanding me. _You _will leave or identify yourself, or else-"Pepper was cut off by the figure. "I have no patience for stubborn, ignorant people like you. I warned you. Goodbye." The figure laughed as the comm channel was terminated. The _Elengale _suddenly shook with violence.

"Return fire! All available turret guns target the enemy ship!" Ordered Pepper. An eruption of emerald lasers fired from almost every turret on the _Elengale. _Streams of red lasers fired back from the enemy vessel. Flashes of red and green were crossing through space as an intense battle initiated.

"Fire the plasma cannon!" The gun in front of the ship began to glow. Suddenly a yellow beam of plasma came streaming out and struck its target.

"Sir! Plasma beam caused minimal damage!"

"Fire again! Put more power into it!" The gun fired another plasma beam, but the enemy avoided it.

"Captain, the enemy fighters are overwhelming ours!"

"Use point-defense lasers. Fire salvo of Nova Bombs!" Streams of yellow plasma bolts and Nova Bombs emerged from the _Elengale, _and decimated the majority of the enemies around it. Debris pelted the bridge.

"The enemy is releasing more fighters," an officer informed. Pepper grinded his teeth as he looked at the viewer screen to indeed find more fighters emerging from the vessel.

"Shields at 66 percent and lowering!" The enemy vessel continued to fire powerful red lasers from its cannons, pounding at the _Elengales_ shields.

"Fire stream phasers!" Thin, but powerful green lasers, were fired and continued to strike its target with great force. The enemy vessel started to move forwards, and then fired a huge missile.

"Captain! Inbound missile!" informed a worried tiger. The missile sped towards the Cornerian ship with frightening speed.

"Evasive maneuvers. Target the missile with the plasm-"Suddenly, missile hit the _Elengale, _and the ship shook with intensity. Pepper lost his balance and fell as the ship rumbled. The alarms blared as the hull groaned. Sparks of electricity flew out of the consoles as the light flickered in and out.

"Four turrets are non responsive! Plasma cannon is gone. Engine two is offline, shield is temporarily offline. Structural damage to sector 3, deck 4." Captain Pepper's eyes widened. "Get those shields back up! Now!" The enemy vessel continued to pound the armor of the _Elengale. _More sparks flew out as the armor was slowly losing its structural integrity. Suddenly, the red lasers caused a huge explosion as it created a gaping hole in the hull. Some of the crew members were sucked into the vacuum of space before the shield barrier activated and covered the breach.

"Captain! Hull breach on deck 2!" Pepper was distressed. "Fire salvo of Nova Bombs! Where are the shields!?" The Nova Bombs flew straight into the enemy vessel, causing the ship's green shield outline to appear momentarily before fading away.

"Regenerating in 3, 2, 1…" The hull of the _Elengale _produced a current of blue electricity that traveled around itself, and the shields were back online.

"Shields up and at 42 percent!" Informed an officer. "What is their current shield percentage?" asked Pepper.

"Enemy shields at 75 percent and holding." Pepper felt anger and anxiety in his mind as the ship trembled from the impacts.

"Ensign! Try and get a scan on they're ship! Find a weak point!"

"Sir, I've been trying but I haven't been able to get any information!" Suddenly, a burst of smoke appeared from the enemy vessel and another missile emerged from the billowing smoke.

"Sir, another missile!" yelled the weapons officer.

"Hard turn to port 35 degrees, up 15 degrees!" The officer at the helm controls immediately performed the action. The missile nicked the wing as the ship went up that small ten degrees.

"Minimal damage to right wing." The captain sighed. _I have a horrible feeling... This enemy… _The captain's thoughts were interrupted as more laser fire struck the ship.

"Jarvus!" he called his friend on the comm. "Status report on engines!"

In the background behind Jarvus, wires were hanging from the ceiling and sparks were flying everywhere as crew members desperately tried to keep everything under control. His friend replied nervously. "They can't keep up much longer! There's too much stress on the main reac-... What the?? Everyone get out of the way-" Suddenly, there was an explosion on Jarvus's side, and Pepper's screen turned to static. "Jarvus? Jarvus??"

A/N: Part two will be comin' shortly! Hang tight!

LilGstryker


	5. V: Painful Memories, Pt 2

Star Fox

Desperate Measures

By: LilGstryker

Disclaimer: Star Fox and everything related to it is owned by Nintendo.

We continue to explore Pepper's recollection of his encounter with the Teruvians (although in this timeframe he and the rest of the Lylat didn't know who they were yet.)

Hopefully the last chapter's battleship scene was good. Please review, give me your opinion. Good reviews help me progress the story better. ****

Chapter 5

**P A I N F U L  
M E M O R I E S**

**Part 2 **

Pepper was trying to contact his friend, but had no luck whatsoever. His comm. screen only showed static. "Sir, the engines are offline!!" _Oh no, Jarvus…_

"Keep us moving with the boosters! Fire all available stream phasers!"

"Shields at 23 percent and dropping!" Pepper slammed his fist on a console. _We've gotta get out of this situation!_

The _Elengale _was in terrible condition. The once beautiful ship was now almost a complete wreck. Some parts of the ship were on fire. Black scorches that were caused by enemy fire could be seen all over the poor vessel. Pieces of the hull were broken off, and part of the skeletal grid system could be seen. The engine was leaking plasma and emitting smoke. Deadly currents of electricity sparked from random parts of the craft. Sparks shot out of what remained of the plasma cannon. Most turrets were either destroyed or damaged, leaving an almost defenseless ship. On the other hand, the enemy vessel was in good condition. Even after all of the weapons that battered it, the ship still flew strong, with few bruises.

An officer was running his hands all over the console, concentrating hard as he desperately tried to find a weak spot on the ship. Even after multiple check-ups and scans, his scanners showed nothing.

"Sir, I still can't see..." suddenly, his console beeped. The officer's eyes flew to scanner. He only had to glance at it to know exactly what he needed to know.

"I found a weak point! The shield generator is directly under the enemy's left wing stabilizer!" Pepper's mind jumped with excitement.

"Alright! Concentrate all weapons on that area! Fire!" Lasers blazed from all of the active turrets. Streams of yellow and green flew straight into the general area underneath the left wing.

------------------

"My lord, they are attempting to disable our shields," informed a reptilian officer as their ship rumbled from the sudden impact.

"I think it is time to stop fooling around with this… Bothersome pest. Don't destroy the Cornerians; I want them to witness what we are capable of." The mysterious leader turned towards the weapons control officer.

"I want the ship disabled, so target their main reactor. After that is done, begin charging _Omega Devastator _andtarget _Saturna._ "

------------------

"Sir, were picking up mass readings of enormous energy emanating from the ship!" Before Pepper could respond, a massive, crimson beam emerged from the enemy vessel. It struck the _Elengale _with an enormous amount of power. The ship violently rumbled as the beam pulverized the shields. The lights went off, but showers of sparks lit the room as crew members tried to stay on their feet. Everyone was in complete darkness until the emergency lights came on. Almost every console on the bridge was down. A few officers tried to reactivate them, only to have sparks fly back at them. One of the consoles caught on fire as a crew member tried to get it to work.

"Get that fire out!" Pepper yelled. "Status report!"

"All systems except life support and communications are down. Auxiliary power is keeping our lifts, access doors, shield barriers, and lighting active. Other than that Captain, we're sitting ducks. They've hit our main reactor." Pepper instinctively ducked when sparks showered him from above.

"How long will the reactor take to restore itself?" the captain asked quickly.

The wolf sort of shrugged. "Estimated time is about six hours at maximum, sir."

Pepper wasn't pleased with this response. "From the looks of things, we don't have six hours. What about manually fixing it?"

"Manual repair is difficult. It depends on how badly the reactor was damaged. Sometimes it is quicker to repair it this way, though."

Pepper was somewhat satisfied when he heard this, but was still quite worried about the situation. He sighed, his mind jumbled with confusion and other strange emotions. He felt responsible for letting his crew down, and hated to see his ship in such a horrible condition. Pepper sighed heavily, trying to come up with some sort of solution to this disaster.

"Send the repair crew to the main reactor. I want it fixed ASAP."

"Yes sir!" The officer turned towards the access door when it suddenly opened. The personnel on the bridge fixed their eyes upon the person that exited from the shaft.

"That won't be necessary- I've already sent the crew down there."

"Jarvus!? Thank god, you're alive!" Pepper exclaimed happily.

Jarvus was limping as he slowly walked towards his seat on the bridge, but was disappointed to find it broken. His uniform was ripped and scorched in some areas. In fact, the sleeve on the left arm was completely gone. He had a few cuts and bruises on his face, and his communicator was cracked and looked no longer usable. Almost every part of his body was covered in dust. He was breathing heavily, as if he just finished running a marathon. Finally, he just sat in Pepper's chair, knowing that he wouldn't mind.

"You're limping. Are you okay?" Pepper asked worriedly.

"It's a deep gash, but I used my sleeve to stop the bleeding." He lifted his pant leg to show Pepper his injured leg. Even If his gash was covered up, the leg still made Pepper flinch.

"I'm lucky that I even made it," explained Jarvus. "The explosion that caused me to lose contact with you threw me into the wall. After that, the ceiling collapsed, and I was covered with debris that was too heavy to lift up. I heard one of the crew members saying that a hull breach was imminent." He stopped to take a quick breath, and then continued on. "The compression doors began to close. The debris was crushing my lungs, and the alarm was blaring noisily. No one could hear my call for help. Just when I thought I was a goner, a few crew members got rid of the crap holding me down. The door was about to seal up, and they threw me to the other side right on…time…"

Pepper hesitated before speaking. "Did…did they make it?" he asked pensively. Jarvus looked down and sighed.

"No…It was too late. I checked to see if I could re-open the door, but the engine room depressurized almost instantly right after the door was sealed shut… Then the reactor shut down."

"Sir, incoming transmission from the enemy vessel," reported the comm. officer.

Pepper, his face showing anger and sorrow, looked up towards the main screen.

"Open the channel," he ordered. The hound was clenching his fists, his eyes expressing his hatred towards the evil character sitting in the captain's chair on the other vessel. The leader of the enemy ship appeared, his face still covered in shadows.

"My friend, I tried to warn you, but you just…wouldn't… listen." The adversary leader shook his head in disappointment.

"I _would _destroy you now," informed the foe, "But I have more pressing matters to deal with. See that tiny, pathetic planet you call _Saturna?_ In a few hours I'm going to blow it to bits." The leader again smiled and laughed evilly. Pepper was speechless. His expression showed nothing but fear, regret, and hopelessness. He regretted that he could do nothing about the situation.

"No… No, you can't! There are so many innocent lives that you will destroy! Why!? Why are you doing this?"

"There is a reason for everything, my Cornerian friend. Now is not your time to know. There is no point in wasting my breath talking to a pathetic hound like you." The comm. Channel closed, and the image of the mad leader disappeared.

Pepper was distressed. "We have to do something!" _How are we going to stop them? _He thought hard, an idea suddenly struck Pepper. He remembered that he still had long-distance communication still online.

"Contact General Forrest of the Saturna Military Base! We need to tell him about this situation!"

"Yes sir!" The communication officer put on a headset and swiftly tapped keys on his console.

An error message appeared on the comm. Officers screen. He sighed slowly. "Sir, the enemy vessel is jamming our communication. There is no way to connect with anyone."

"What? Dammit…" Pepper activated his gauntlet communicator, and a dog's ruffled, brown-furred face appeared.

"How are repairs coming along?" He asked. The dog sighed.

"Not to well, captain. The reactor's been damaged badly. We're doing all we can, but it might take a little longer than expected."

"At this point, time is of the essence. Try to repair the reactor as fast as you can."

"Without a doubt, sir." The dog's face disappeared off Pepper's screen. "Ensign, what is the status of the hangar bay?" Pepper questioned.

"The bay's doors have been blown off. The room has been depressurized. There are very few fighters left that are still clamped." Pepper tried to think of a solution, but couldn't think of anything. He felt completely helpless. With all the lives at stake he was agonizingly stressed out. All he could do was hope that some miracle would befall on them, so that lives of his crew and the citizens of _Saturna _will live.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

**Four hours later…**

"My lord, everything is going as planned." The leader smiled deviously.

"What is the status of _Omega?_" he questioned.

"Charge is almost complete. Power level at 95 percent."

"Hmm, it charged a lot faster than I expected, but the sooner the better."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

"Jarvus, I will be right back. You are in no condition to do anything right now, so take control of the bridge. I want to help the repair crew fix the reactor." Jarvus nodded. Pepper entered the elevator shaft, and before the access doors closed Jarvus looked back at him and gave Pepper a thumbs up. The captain simply smiled at his friend, and the access door sealed shut. "Deck 5, Sector 1," he told the computer. Pepper felt the shaft vibrate as it started to make its way towards the specific area.

Pepper reflected on the situation quietly to himself as he closed his eyes. _What if we can't stop them? What if we're too late? _He sighed quietly. _All those people…_

He opened his eyes as the shaft came to a halt. Pepper took one step out of the elevator when he felt a fierce tremor. He immediately contacted the bridge.

"Jarvus, what was that?" he asked worryingly.

"Internal explosion, Deck 2, sector 2. No one has been harmed, but the area's depressurized. I'm afraid that if we don't get power up soon, the ship will collapse."

"Do we have enough auxiliary power to launch evac ships?" Pepper asked.

"It depends. Another internal explosion could knock out auxiliary power for all we know."

"Well if it comes down to that point, we'll hopefully have the main power back up. Pepper out." He closed communication with Jarvus, whose face disappeared into nothingness on the gauntlet screen.

Pepper approached the compressed entry door labeled, 'Main Reactor." Pepper inputted a password on the access panel, and the door slid open. He walked inside. It was a fairly large room. Stairs were located on each side of the room lead up to a second floor, which were actually rows of metallic, grated catwalks. Bridges connected the parallel walkways so one did not have to walk down the stairs to reach the other side. In the center of the area was a large, horizontal tube that appeared to continue beyond the wall. This was the generator that kept the main reactor working. Repair workers were everywhere. Some where using laser cutters, some using energy wrenches. Others were removing large panels from the wall, which revealed the complex wire network and enabled workers to access system settings. Most were at the reactor tube, attempting to repair it. They were all trying to complete one task: restore the main reactor.

The captain approached a certain brown-furred dog, who was reviewing information on a large panel attached to the wall.

"Hello, Lance." The dog looked up, surprised to see the captain in front of him.

"Sir, what are you doing here?" he asked, slightly confused.

"I would like to help you repair the main reactor."

"Of course, sir. If you wouldn't mind, could you help me repair this particular system?" Pepper approached the information screen that engineer Lance was previously reading. Lance pointed out what needed to be fixed, and the two began right away.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Half an hour later…**

"My lord, the _Omega Devastator _has completely charged. It is ready."

"Good. Contact that Cornerian ship."

"Yes, My lord." The comm. Officer tapped a few commands.

"Once that planet is destroyed, I want the Cornerian ship annihilated."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pepper was sweating a lot. He had just finished lifting up several heavy machinery components. He stopped to wipe the sweat from his brow. The entire working crew was surrounding Lance and the captain.

"Alright, one last tweak and the ship should be running again," Lance informed.

"Wait. Before you do that, let me contact Jarvus." Lance nodded, and Pepper called Jarvus through his wrist communicator.

"Jarvus, we are about to get our power back. I want to keep us on a low profile. Once the ship is restored, don't power up our systems. Charge the weapons, but keep it to a small amount so they're sensors don't pick it up. I'll tell you what to do when I get there."

"Alright. Jaruvs out." Pepper shut off his gauntlet.

"Okay, Lance. Activate the reactor." The engineer flew his hands all over the panel on the wall, and the reactor sparked to life, then instantly went into a 'reserved power' mode.

"Lance, I'm going back to the bridge. Try to keep her in shape."

"Absolutely, I'll do my best."

Lance and Pepper exchanged salutes, and then the latter ran out the door and headed towards the shaft.

As soon as Pepper stepped into the bridge, they got a transmission. "It's from the enemy vessel," the comm. Officer said.

The evil leader of the other ship once again appeared on the main screen. "It is time. Our ultimate weapon has charged to its full capacity. You and your crew are lucky that you will be able to see its awesome power. We are going to obliterate your planet, and you can't stop us!" The leader laughed as Pepper gritted his teeth. "Once we're done with the planet, you're next. Enjoy the fireworks."

_NO! We've got to stop him! _

"Wait! Before you do, tell us who you are! I'm curious, I want to know the name of the person that was finally able to outsmart me in battle," Pepper lied. He actually wanted to know the name of the race that was about to obliterate the doomed planet, so they could get info on them later, if Pepper and his crew was lucky enough to escape alive.

"Fine- It will not matter anyways. We," he paused, "Are the Teruvian race! I am Lord Devaar! And soon, the entire Lylat system will be mine!"

"But why??? Why are you doing this? What do you want with the Lylat?" questioned Pepper, desperate to get some answers.

"That is none of your concern. Sorry to disappoint you." He cackled as his evil face disappeared off the screen. _Damn, didn't get much out of him. _

"Jarvus, did you get the info?" Pepper asked.

"Yep, I got it all."

"Great, now power up all systems! Re-route all power to the weapons, including shield and engine power! Try to at least disable their weapons! Fire!" The _Elengale _sputtered, and then roared to life. Every available turret and point-defense laser turret, and stream phaser guns were concentrating on the weapon generator underneath the left wing.

"My lord, they've got their systems back up!" Their ship rumbled from the impact of lasers, which were violently pounding on the generator. Since every ounce of power the _Elengale _had was transferred into weapons, Devaar's ship actually started to take some serious damage as the shields were barely holding.

"If we don't act now, we won't have enough power to fire our weapon!" yelled the Teruvian officer.

"What!? Then fire _Omega Devastator!!_"

"We're still much to close-"

"I don't care! Do it now!"

A monstrous cannon suddenly emerged from front of Devaar's ship. The gun shined a crimson red, and then fired the largest, most devastating beam of energy that Pepper had ever seen.

"NOOO!" Pepper cried, but his yell was muted by the sound of a large impact. The planet shook from the impact of the beam. Planet debris flew all around as the laser pierced into the core of the planet. The planet started to erupt and disintegrate before it finally exploded. Flashing colors and white light blinded Pepper and his crew as the once beautiful planet _Saturna _and all of the innocent people living on the planet perished forever, never to see the Lylat again…

"Energy backwash is going to destroy us if we don't get the shields up!" Jarvus yelled over the blaring alarms. Chunks of _Saturna_ were knocking into the ship as it violently shook. Each impact blew the ship in a different direction, causing much damage to the hull armor.

_No, no, we… couldn't stop him…_

"Divert all power to the shields! NOW!" Pepper commanded.

"Energy backwash approaching! Brace for impact!"

A blue wave suddenly hit the _Elengale,_ and the ship shuddered as it was pushed along with the wave of energy that protruded from the spot where _Saturna _used to be. Soon, the energy overcame the ship as it disappeared into the blinding white light.

-------------------------------------------------------------

It's very unfortunate… Pepper couldn't save Saturna. The question is… Did Pepper survive? (Well obviously, he did. How else would he currently be _General _Pepper?)

LilGstryker


	6. VI: Assault

Star Fox

Desperate Measures

By: LilGstryker

Disclaimer: Star Fox and everything related to it is owned by Nintendo.

We end Pepper's horrible recollections on this chap, and we start to focus on Star Fox. The story really picks up from here.

Chapter 6

**End of Pepper's Recollection: A S S U A L T**

A lone cruiser was drifting helplessly across the cold, dark void of space. Pieces of shredded metal floated around the wrecked vessel. Sparks crackled around the ship, and black, acrid smoke emerged from the engines. Chunks of rock intertwined with the metal. These chunks or rocks were from the once peaceful planet _Saturna,_ which exists no more.

The bridge of the _Elengale_ was an utter disaster. Computer terminals and consoles were smoking, some on fire, their surfaces cracked and destroyed. Random showers of sparks rained down everywhere in the bridge. Wires were hanging from out of the ceiling. Wall and ceiling debris and dust covered the floor, making the room seem like it hasn't been cleaned for years. Dust, smoke and steam particles floated in the air, making the bridge look cloudy. Support rails collapsed, and long beams of metal were sticking out of the ceiling. Some were slammed into the floor, crushing anything below it.

Pepper was lying silently on the floor. He could hear voices around him, but it all sounded slurred. Suddenly he coughed, and his eyes slowly opened. Everything was blurry to him. After a few moments everything slid into focus. Pepper heard loud shouting and talking. He sat up, and a sharp pain struck his chest. He grasped his chest, wondering what would make him feel this horrible feeling.

_Ungh… Broken ribs… _Pepper decided. He groaned, and finally got up, still clutching his chest. He looked around, and saw several crew members up and about, trying to clean up the bridge. Some were covered under loose debris. He went over to help some officers lift the heavy debris, despite the screaming pain that was in his chest.

"Sir? Is there something wrong?" asked a female feline.

"No, it is nothing serious…" He helped her lift up a huge part of the ceiling, and a dog crawled out from under.

"Are you hurt?" Pepper asked.

"No sir, just a few cuts and bruises."

"Alright, help clean up the bridge."

"Yes sir."

Pepper walked on. As he walked by one of the support rails that were buckled, he suddenly had this gut-wrenching feeling. He went on to find Jarvus, praying that his good friend was alright.

"Jarvus? Are you here? Bah, damn smoke…" He waved his hand in front of him to disperse the cloudiness away. "If you can hear me, say something!"

The ventilation system suddenly whirred, and all of the excess smoke and dust were sucked away. _Surprised to see that anything is working in my poor ship… Oh Creator, Saturna… The people, all ten million people, gone… And it's all my fault. I've failed… I don't deserve to be a captain… _Tears formed in his eyes. The droplets of salty tears fell from his face and hit the cold, metallic floor. He silently wiped away his tears, but the streaks they formed could still be seen on his brown furred, ragged face.

"Captain, you better… Come and see this," said one of the officers.

"What is it? Have you found Jarvus?" Pepper asked as he walked down the short flight of stairs leading to the lower deck of the bridge.

"Yes…" Replied the officer. Pepper could hear sorrow and pity in his voice.

"Jarvus, are you ok-…" The captain's eyes and heart sunk. He could not believe what he saw. He looked away from the gruesome sight he was looking at.

A support rail had smashed into Jarvus, pinning him into the ground through his stomach. Dark patches of blood stained the poor hounds' uniform around where the rail penetrated his body. Blood was everywhere. It covered the floor, was splattered onto some of the computer terminals, and smudged against the wall. Pepper didn't think that a body could hold this much of the dark, thick liquid.

Jarvus coughed up some blood. It leaked down his mouth, down his chin and was puddle around his head. He slowly opened his eyes, but could not see anything.

"Ger…Ge…Gerald? Are…you…there…?" the hound softly asked. He coughed again, blood spewing from his mouth. The captain kneeled beside his friend and held his blood-soaked paw. Pepper was surprised to feel Jarvus's hand squeeze Pepper's hand.

"Jarvus, I'm…I'm right here," he said, fighting to hold back tears.

"I…I can't…see any-cough-anything… I feel cold…"

"Don't worry Jarvus, you're going to be alright…Don't leave us, stay alive…"

"Gerald…I…You've always…" Jarvus was now struggling so hard, just to speak.

"You've always…been… a good fr-"he suddenly stopped speaking, and the life that once shone through his eyes disappeared. Jarvus's eyes slowly closed as his hand became limp, loosening the grip around Pepper's hand.

"Jarvus? Jarvus?!"

"He's gone, captain. I'm so sorry," said the officer.

"No…NOO!" Pepper slammed his fist into the wall, ignoring the pain that throbbed in his chest, ignoring everything. He ignored everything except the fact that his best friend, great soldier and fellow commander had died in his hands. Tears came flowing harder than ever. Lexington Jarvus had always been his greatest friend. He has been with Pepper in almost every situation, from girl problems to the fiercest and bloodiest battles in space. He comforted him in his time of need, and Pepper was always grateful that a person like Jarvus came into his life. Now, he was gone, and he couldn't do anything about it. Pepper felt that he failed as a captain, as a person people look up to, and let an entire world of innocent lives and loved ones die. He fell to his knees, still leaning against the wall, remorse and misery engulfing his entire being.

---------------------------------

"General… I had no idea that this has ever happened to you… I'm sorry…" Fox said with great sorrow and pity. He knew that the hound has been through a lot, but the general's story was devastating.

"It's alright, Fox. It happened long ago. Jarvus will always be remembered." Fox was shocked to see that a tear has formed in the old war-torn hound. The general turned away and wiped it, and then looked back at them.

"…What happened after that?" Krystal asked. She could feel the pain inside the general's heart, and the sorrow she felt worsened.

"Well, luckily... Our communications were miraculously still active, although barely. We sent a distress signal, and a nearby Katinan battleship picked it up. The captain of the ship, Captain Jackson Reynolds, was sent to inspect the huge outburst of energy that had suddenly appeared on radar at the Katinan Outpost. (Katina was close to Saturna.) We reported back General Tyson, who was the commissioned general before me. He was devastated."

"Well duh, a whole planet was just blown up by… What's his name, Devaar?" Falco asked meticulously, being careful not to get the name wrong.

"Speaking of which… What happened to the bastard?" asked Fox.

"Reynolds ship detected a warp signature before he found us. Devaar's ship was probably critically damaged by the energy, but had enough power to warp back to the Garrack System. For some reason, after all that ranting about controlling the Lylat System, he never returned. The Cornerian government then stepped in to cover the story, stating that economical problems and a meteor destroyed the planet. No one knew about… what my crew and I had witnessed."

"How come you didn't chase after him? I mean, he destroyed an entire planet!" Slippy exclaimed.

"Simple. No one wanted to at the moment. The Lylat was mourning for the loss of _Saturna._ Hundreds of thousands of furs were left homeless, as they were on a different planet when their home planet _Saturna _disappeared. Also, no one except the Cornerian Government and Cornerian Defense knew about what had really happened. So we started to work at giving those unfortunate animals help and putting the Lylat back together. Everyone had lost someone. For Creator's sake, millions of lives were destroyed! I still can't believe that I couldn't stop him…"

"General, don't be so hard on yourself. You did your best, I'm certain. Its very hard to do what you had done, and hell- you almost stopped them," Fox replied, trying to console the general.

Pepper sighed. "Your right Fox… Anyways, the Teruvians were forgotten, and later I was appointed general. Then Andross saw this as the perfect moment to strike, seeing that the Lylat was vulnerable… The Lylat War started, and… Wait. Hold on, Star Fox, I'm getting a call…" He put his hand up to the headset he was wearing. "Yes… What?! Are you sure? This is not good…Alright."

"What's wrong, General?" asked Falco.

"Intel has informed me that a mass fleet of unknown vessels, most likely Teruvian vessels, have appeared on the edge of the Lylat system, near the Katina zone. They plan on launching a full scale attack." Pepper has returned to his serious tone.

"Do you want us to stay here, general?" Fox asked, knowing that the Teruvians were most likely planning on attacking Katina.

"Yes; I am sending a Cornerian Fleet there. The Katinan Air Force branch will also join you."

"You can count on us, sir!" Fox proudly reminded Pepper. The old hound smiled.

"I know, Fox, I know. I must attend an important conference now, so I wish you good luck. Pepper, out." The image of the proud war dog disintegrated off the view screen, and the team could see him no more.

"Man, after all of the crap Pepper's been through, he still manages to smile in the end. He's crazy," Falco remarked, plopping his feet on the console in front of him and lazily resting his head in his arms.

"I know, Falco. Pepper's one of the few people that will do anything to keep the Lylat safe. I respect him a lot for what he has done and who he is," McCloud responded.

Fox had noticed something. During the entire conversation, Peppy had been unusually quiet. Normally, he would always have something to say about a situation like this.

"Peppy, are you alright? You haven't said anything in awhile." Fox was surprised to hear Krystal ask the question Fox was about to ask, himself.

Peppy sighed. "It's nothing, Krystal… It's just… It's just that my… parents were on _Saturna _when it… was destroyed. I was one of the few people in the Academy that found out about what had actually happened." Peppy put his hands to his eyes, and everyone could see that tears had formed.

"Oh my, Peppy… I'm really sorry… I didn't mean to… I only wanted-"

"Krystal, its okay," he interrupted, coming back to his senses. "Besides, now is my chance to get back at those scumbags. I want them gone as badly as Pepper does."

"I'm sorry to hear this, Peppy. You never told us much about your parents," Fox said.

"I know Fox, but that is something from the past. Right now, we need to concentrate on what's happening in the present. No use in dwelling on the past, right?"

"Your right Peppy. Alright, ROB, contact the Katina Base commander," Fox commanded the droid.

"Affirmative." ROB tapped on the console, and image of a tough-looking badger appeared on the viewer screen. His uniform and badges suggested that he was of a high rank.

"Admiral Dyson here. General Pepper has informed me of the situation." The badger smiled grimly. "I am glad that you are assisting us, Mr. McCloud."

"Me too, and call me Fox, admiral. Do you know when the Teruvians are going to attack?" Fox questioned.

"Yes. We intercepted a transmission a while back. Their time of assault will be tomorrow, 1000 hours sharp. Fox, if you would, I want you to assist my forward defensive line. It would really help us fend them off as we prep our ships. The Cornerian Fleet will also be there, so that will heighten our chance of surviving the first wave of attacks."

"With pleasure. Fox out." The admiral saluted, and the channel was closed.

"Slippy, I want you to see if you can fix the weapon system so the Great Fox is ready for the battle tomorrow, just in case," Fox commanded his friend.

"Gotcha Fox." The enthusiastic toad walked swiftly out of the bridge.

"Meh, I'm gonna go take a nap. Catch ya' later, Foxie." Falco also exited the bridge.

"Hey Fox, I need to check on something in the engine room," informed Peppy.

"Okay, Peppy, see you around." The hare nodded and left, leaving Fox, Krystal, and ROB in the bridge alone. It was very silent. Fox began to shift his eyes nervously.

_Damnit! Awkward moment... Weird how everyone left at the same time… Gotta break this silence, though! _Fox thought."Krystal!" He blurted out. "Um, yes Fox?"

_Aughh! Think of something to say, idiot! _"Oh, yes. The, uh, the battle tomorrow… I can tell that it is going to be very difficult."

"As can I. General Pepper seemed really stressed out about this," she responded to her captain.

"Yeah, I know. Will you be alright tomorrow?"

"Well…" She paused for a moment. "As long as I'm with you, Fox, I know I'll be safe. I trust you." Krystal smiled the smile that made Fox melt.

"Um, don't… Don't worry Krystal. I value my teammate's lives more than mine. You can rely on me." Krystal slowly walked up to Fox, making him feel nervous. She was a few inches away from his face.

"You are so noble, Fox. I love that trait in you, always the brave leader. I'm very glad that you persuaded me to stay on the Great Fox," she said in a soft whisper. She gave Fox a light kiss on his cheek, making him blush really hard.

"Uhhh…Umm… Your welcome?" Krystal giggled at Fox's confusion. She read his mind just to see his response. _Oh God! She kissed me! Ummm… Crap, what do I do…uhhh, say something! Come on, think! _Krystal had to try really hard to not reel over laughing. "How 'bout we grab something to eat?" Krystal suggested, still grinning inwardly.

Fox, coming to his senses, agreed, and they exited the bridge, leaving ROB to perform his task duties alone.

**Great Fox, 930 hours, Day of Assault**

"This is Admiral Dyson. The Cornerian Fleet has arrived and we are prepping our defenses. Admiral Evan of the fleet has informed me that the Teruvians are advancing towards our position."

"This is Great Fox, copy that. We will arrive at the front lines shortly," replied Peppy.

"Alright. May the Creator be with us. Dyson out."

"Alright team. This is it. Once we get within the battle parameters, I want us all in the Arwings and out there, so let's head to the docking bay. Star Fox, move out!" After speaking his famous line, Fox and the other three team members quickly left the bridge, leaving Peppy and ROB to control the bridge.

After running down the, as Falco would call it, 'ridiculously long hallway', the team arrived in the docking bay. Attached to launching arm devices were four, shining Arwings. Each pilot hopped into the cockpit and closed the glass canopy, activated the ship and ran diagnostics.

"Communication lines…Green."

"Falco here, I'm good to go."

"This is Slippy, everything's fine."

"This is Krystal, I'm ready."

"Alright guys, be careful out there. We destroyed these guys once, and we can do it again!" The team whooped as the docking bay was lit with flashing lights.

"Lift locks released," informed ROB's monotonic voice.

"Alright Peppy, we're ready," Fox told his old friend.

"Launch all ships!" Peppy commanded. Suddenly the launching arms released the Arwings out into space, where each one did a barrel roll to activate the gravity blade system. Then each fighter boosted forward, leaving behind a purple afterburner exhaust.

A vast fleet of Cornerian and Katinan ships filled the area in front of the Great Fox and the four Arwings.

"That has got to be one of the biggest fleets I've ever seen!" Slippy announced.

"With this many ships, we should be able to pound them down 'till they're dust!" Falco cockily said.

"Don't forget Falco, a couple of those Teruvian battleships took out four Katinan Cruisers really easily. Don't let your guard down."

"Entering battle parameter. Good luck, gang." Peppy's face disappeared off of everyone's screen.

"Fox, we're getting a transmission from someone," informed Slippy.

"This is Colonel Jason Daugherty, its good to see that Star Fox is with us. I am the leading commander of the 31st Cornerian Elite wing. I wanted to inform you of the enemy's fighter ships capabilities, in case you have forgotten. Their shields are obviously more technologically advanced than ours, as it takes several shots to take them down. They also have dispersive armor, which makes it more difficult to take them down once the shields are shot. However, their firepower is not as strong as, say, a standard Cornerian fighter, and their G-Diffuser systems aren't as agile as ours. But they do happen to carry heat-guided missiles, and some of the more powerful versions can launch multiple at a time. Be very careful though. Do not get close to the fighters. They can emit radioactive rays, which can knock out your shields for a few minutes."

"Wait- if we have shields, how can those rays get through them?" asked Slippy.

"The radioactive rays can go through any frequency of fighter shields," he replied.

"Alright, will do. Good luck, Colonel," Fox said.

"Please Fox, call me Jason. It is, after all, an honor to have Star Fox working with us. Daugherty out."

A few minutes of silence went by before Falco spotted something on his scope.

"Fox, we got company… Lots of it," he added. The radar was showing a mass army of vessels approaching them slowly. Soon, the entire Defense Fleet could see the battleships.

"They're releasing fighters, Fox!" Peppy notified.

Suddenly, the Teruvians open fired and large groups of enemy fighters emerged from the enemy capital ships. The Defense Fleet (DF) responded by doing the same.

Groups and squadrons of fighters sped towards the Teruvian crafts, like an old fashion battle charge. Hundreds of beautiful yet deadly emerald and ruby colored laser fire painted the black of space as if it were some sort of canvas. Explosions ruptured all around as the battleships of both the DF and Teruvians engaged in lethal combat.

"Alright team, let's go!" Four Arwings sped towards the huge fray, and soon were blended in with the danger that was taking place over Katina.

(A/N): Finally, the first massive battle of the story. Will Star Fox and the DF survive what seems to be the largest full scale attack of the decade? Find out… Well, in the next chapter!

LilGstryker


	7. VII: Violent Conflicts

Star Fox

Desperate Measures

By: LilGstryker

Disclaimer: Star Fox and everything related to it is owned by Nintendo.

Things start to heat up as the Cornerians fight the Teruvian race in this chap. Star Fox start to have some trouble as the battle goes on. Corneria has really improved their Defense Force, so they aren't as helpless as they were nine years ago, during the Lylat War. Yet, the Teruvians are going to prove that they are not a race to be reckoned with. Like always, reviews are appreciated.

Chapter 7

**V I O L E N T**

**C O N F L I C T S**

Metallic clanks echoed throughout a Teruvian vessel's corridors as ship personnel ran about to perform various duties. Among those walking was the dark commander of the Teruvian fleet. The leader was wearing a completely black outfit with a single blood red stripe going down on each of his sides, and his black cape wavered behind him. His face was concealed by a dark hood, and almost none of the crew members have ever actually seen his face. He collected quite a few nervous glances and stares as he passed by the crew. He was obviously feared, whether the reason being his humongous, intimidating size or his position of great importance in the Teruvian military. He took a left turn and appeared in front of a large access door labeled 'Bridge'. It slid open to reveal numerous ship officers working at almost every computer terminal on the large, semi-circle shaped area. He stepped through the threshold and watched the view screen in front of him. Surrounding his ship were several other battleships, and beyond those vessels were most of the ships that were battling the Cornerians. Explosions, plasma fire and fighters littered the view pane's screen, and it was yet to be clear who was winning the battle. However, the Teruvian fleet commander had a rather relaxed expression, despite the large war that was at hand. He slowly walked down a few flight of stairs and sat in his luxurious commander's chair. _This time, we will destroy them. _"Lieutenant Telvaa, status report on all capital ships."

The green scaled lizard quickly overlooked the console in front of him. "We have suffered no major casualties, but neither have the Cornerians. It appears that they have a slight advantage over us."

The commander gave a curious look towards the lieutenant, although the lizard failed to notice because the commander's hood continued to hide his face. "Clarify."

"It appears that their firepower is higher than us and their ships have better maneuverability and speed. Fortunately, we have better shielding. But even with this benefit, we must be careful." The leader smiled deviously, and this time Telvaa noticed. The lizard was slightly confused at his commander's calm nature. After a slight moment, the leader spoke. "…No matter. These Lylatians have no idea about what they are up against. They will all die." At that moment, Lieutenant Telvaa understood what his commander meant. "Ah yes, our secret weapon… They'll have no idea what hit 'em until it's too late."

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Among the Cornerian ships was a larger capital ship, positioned in the center of the Cornerian fleet. Along the hull's side was the name _Elengale II, _named after the ship Pepper so highly valued and loved, lost to the rampage of the Teruvians and destruction of Saturna. Onboard the bridge of the beautiful craft was the leader of the defensive fleet over Katina. He stood in place silently, looking out beyond the bridge windows, watching the brave soldiers fight for their beloved system. He produced a slight smile, knowing that every person fighting out there was doing their best.

"Sir, the cruisers _Entraval _and _Genesis _have just taken out one of their dreadnaughts," reported the falcon comm officer. Evans smiled, as everything was going smoothly, despite how numerous and powerful the Teruvians seemed to be. Surprisingly, they have only lost one battleship so far out of the fifty or so Cornerian ships fighting.

The falcon saw a small light blinking, and answered the call. After listening through his headset, he looked up towards his leader. "I'm getting another transmission, the destroyer _Icefire _has reported that their propulsion and weapon systems needs repairing and are requesting to pull back," the falcon said. The admiral crossed his arms, and paused to think about the situation. The _Icefire _was one of the fleet's greatest destroyers, and he didn't want it to go down anytime soon.

"Tell them that they have permission to fall back. Have Commander Grey's squadrons provide cover while they retreat back," the raccoon ordered. Admiral Daniel Evans was one of the most efficient commanders in the Cornerian Military. He had been in the military for 33 years, and had quickly gone through the ranks. Most have seen him as a great hero, although not as popular as Pepper or Star Fox. The raccoon shift his eyes towards the bridge view port, and watched as the Cornerian ships ahead of the _Elengale II_ battle valiantly against the new enemy. _Why have they come back? What do they want? I sense that this is only the beginning of what might be the largest war the Lylat has ever seen, even larger than the Lylat War…_

His thoughts were interrupted as the ship rumbled from numerous impacts.

The damage control officer looked down at his computer terminal and scanned the text that scrolled down his screen. "Damage to frontal waist turrets and minimal damage to shield complex by enemy bombers, plasma guns at 50 percent capacity. They are trying to disable our shield generator."

_Of course, damn bombers. How did they get through our front lines? _Evans decided that it wasn't important and shrugged off the thought."All bearable port anti-fighter turrets target the bombers and destroy them," he calmly ordered. The admiral felt the ship vibrate as massive turrets on the hull of the ship fired lethal beams of emerald laser bolts at the bombers. The bombers apparently were not very agile, and most of them were shot down. The others tried to scatter, but were torn apart by weapons produced by other ships and Cornerian fighters.

"Targets destroyed."

"Alright, we need to find out which ship there commander is on," the admiral said. "But first we must get through their front lines." As the admiral thought, Commander Jon Field, who is second-in-command, spoke up. "It appears that the 31st Elite are having trouble getting through because of the vast amount of enemy crafts. Perhaps if we find a way to get rid of all those fighters, we might have a better chance at getting through the attack line." Evans smiled at the commander. "You never cease to amaze me, old friend." The squirrel nodded, and cracked a small smile. "Thank you admiral." Evans then turned towards his crew.

"That is one of our first priorities. I will contact Star Fox and let them know of our plan. Once their front line is disabled, we will advance forward. Do not hesitate to engage. We need to end this before things get too out of hand." The crew whole-heartedly agreed.

-----------------------------

"Alright, everyone. Admiral Evan has ordered us to cover the _Icefire _to allow it to pull back. All units in escort arrangement!" Grey ordered. His squadrons grouped together around the smoking destroyer as it slowly turned and headed towards the repair dock. Bill was wearing his black shades, believing that they gave him good luck and made him good looking.

"Commander, Teruvian forces are heading our way," Husky Two informed. Bill glanced at his scope, and saw several red dost advancing towards them.

"Crafts in range."

"Targeting enemy group."

"They're charging weapons."

"Alright, Husky, Bulldog and Saber Squadrons open fire!" Arcs of laser fire protruded from the Cornerian fighters, known as the Acewing III. The III was a new model of the Acewing line, and was much better than the old II's used in the Lylat Wars. They had twin lasers/medium powered homing shots and could now carry nova bombs, and a few types could carry missiles. Its G-Diffuser system (GDS) has been upgraded dramatically, although its capabilities still does not exceed that of the superior Arwings. The glowing bolts streamed towards Teruvian groups of fighters, causing the foe to scramble to avoid damage. A few unlucky foes were hit, and although most survived the onslaught with the help of their shielding, other's ships were engulfed in fire as they exploded. As he pulled up and destroyed an enemy craft with a charged shot, he thought back to nine years ago. Bill once again found him and his squadrons defending Katina. He grinned, remembering his encounter with Fox over the Katinan Outpost. After the battle over the outpost, he had gained another squadron because of his great leadership ability and bravery. _Man, it was a good thing that Fox and- _

Bill's ship, the Acewing IV, which is a prototype fighter, was hit and the violent rumble brought him back into focus.

_I wonder if Fox is here fighting with us, _Bill thought. The good-natured husky was an exceptionally skilled pilot. He banked right to evade several non-guided missiles, then swerved left and fired a few shots at a confused foe, whose ship failed after being hit multiple times. It spun out of control and slammed into the guns of a Teruvian battleship, causing the turret to blow into pieces. His green and grey fighter emerged from the black, acrid smoke arising from the burning turret. The _Icefire _was also providing minimal coverage with the weapons that they had left.

"Lucky shot," he thought aloud. He looked to his right, and saw that one of his units was having some trouble. "Saber Four, watch your tail!" He watched it swerve around, trying to lose the enemy, but was failing at this attempt. "They're killing my shields! I can't lose 'em!" replied the nervous pilot.

"Hold on, I'm comin'!" Bill shouted as he boosted towards the stressed pilot. He got a lock on the group of enemies, and fired a Nova Bomb. The massive explosion vaporized the foes.

"Thank the Creator that Defense finally installed bomb launchers on these things. All squadron captains, report in."

"This is Husky One, no problems here."

"Saber One reporting, a few scratches, but were fine." 

"This is Bulldog One, we're good. Teruvian forces are scattering away from our position, I might add." Bill smirked, and boosted forwards towards the destroyer he was protecting. _Good, no casualties… at least, at the moment. Hopefully, it'll stay that way. _Bill's comm unit beeped and a small, green light started to flash. He gave clearance for the transmission to come through, and the image of a young hound appeared on screen.

"This is Captain Forden of the _Icefire, _thank you for providing cover for us."

"Hey, it's no problem." The husky smiled, and the hound's face disappeared off the monitor. As he turned his ship around to help his squadrons, he saw a few familiar blue and silver fighters flying around. _Now those ships definitely look familiar._ His mind suddenly clicked. "So, he is here… All squadrons follow me! I've got an old friend to see…"

-----------------------------------

Fox pulled a loop and then destroyed the enemies that were tailing him. He suddenly twisted left to avoid a large plasma beam that came from a Teruvian capital ship. The plasma skimmed the bottom of his Arwing, causing it to tremble slightly.

"Slippy, are you done with the analysis scans on these capital ships?"

"Hold on, Fox! I'm still trying to get through to the network!" Slippy looked down to the computer screen to analyze the scan information.

Scan Estimated Time: 6 minutes, 32 seconds. Scanning at 37 percent. Slippy's rolled his eyes, as he was annoyed with the scanner. _Darn thing…_

"6 minutes, Fox!" Slippy notified his friend.

"6 minutes?!" Fox's jaw dropped. "Is there anyway-shit!" Fox pulled a tight roll to deflect multiple plasma bolts. They bounced back at the Teruvian fighters that attempted to kill Fox and were destroyed.

"Slip, is there any way to get the info faster?" The vulpine asked while boosting forwards and annihilating a Teruvian craft with well placed laser hits.

"The system is still trying to infiltrate their ship's computer database. I could re-route power from my engine, but then I'd be almost defenseless!"

"Actually Slippy, I think we'll do that. We need to find weak points at all costs, the admiral needs us to. Alright then, Falco, Krystal, group together around Slippy and protect him! Slippy, go ahead and transfer power!" The toad nodded, and his green paw flew across the cockpit console. Suddenly, the engine unit made a loud whine as power transferred to the main computer of Slippy's Arwing. Slippy's speed was dramatically cut, having almost no mobility.

"Okay, Fox. The time has cut down; it'll only take one minute 23 seconds!" Fox nodded, and looked down at his scope. He was about to tell his team about the enemies incoming, but Falco beat him to it.

"Fox, here come some bogeys!" Falco shot at them mercilessly, sending Nova Bombs, lasers and homing shots almost all at once. He rolled to deflect laser fire so Slippy wouldn't get hit. Deflected bolts screamed back towards their original position, and a few enemy crafts turned into blazing fireballs and twisted metal as they went down. "Yeah, that's right! Go to hell, you worthless scum," Falco cockily whooped.

"Wow, Falco, I didn't know that you cared for Slippy that much, if at all! That was quite a show," Fox teased. The avian glanced at Fox through his cockpit windshield and gave him an annoyed look.

"Just following your orders, captain," he sarcastically responded. Fox chuckled, and then returned to focus by shooting down a couple Teruvians coming his way.

Krystal, who was above Slippy, glanced at her radar and noticed several objects approaching them at a fast speed.

"Enemy ships have fired missiles!" She bolted forwards, and it looked like she was going to ram the missiles. Suddenly she pulled a hard turn to the left, and the missiles went off trail and followed her instead. Fox tilted his Arwing towards the missiles, and with a few precise shots took out each missile, leaving trails of small explosions behind his secret love's Arwing.

"Good job Krystal, that was amazing! Now re-group!" The vixen smiled at Fox's comment and swooped in to reposition herself above the nearly motionless Slippy.

"Hey, it's done! Enemy shield generators on most Teruvian vessels are located beneath the nose of the bridge, right above the hangar. Main reactor is located near the back engines, although it's pretty tough to get through the armor without weakening it a good amount."

"Alright Slippy, level out the power of your ship, I have an idea. Since they have old fashion hangar doors, there should be minimal, if any at all, shielding surrounding that area. If we can seal them while the doors are closed, and then we'll be able to put the shields out of action. Let's go!" The team boosted forwards and headed towards the Teruvian front line. Things started to get a little tougher as they made their way. "Alright, battleships are in attack range! Head for the one in front of us," ordered the vulpine. "Gotcha, Fox!" Slippy boosted forwards and started to take out some of the Teruvians in his way.

"Wait Slippy!" Krystal frantically yelled out, but it was too late. The toad was suddenly hit with a few high powered plasma lasers, making his ship violently spin out of control. Sparks flew and the alarm was blaring Slippy tried to bring everything under control. Enemy fighters abruptly swarmed the area as the battleship's hangars opened.

"Crap, watch out!" Falco warned as he turned sharply to the left, barely having any time to avoid a barrage of laser fire. Krystal suddenly found herself in a bad situation when a group of Teruvians started to tail her and fire at her. Fox knew that he needed to help his team members, but with the situation they were in, the captain found himself stuck in an awkward position. He needed to help Slippy get away, but he also needed to help Krystal out. W_hat do I do? I didn't think this would be that hard to do… I wish we had a little backup or something!_ As if on cue, three Cornerian squadrons came in and engaged the Teruvians. They took their focus off of Star Fox and started to attack the new threat, but were losing horribly because the Cornerians caught them off guard. Slippy finally found the opportunity to retreat back and realign himself. Lasers flew everywhere, most coming from the Cornerian's side. The enemy finally gave up and the few that remained scattered away. After this quick skirmish, the team all sighed with relief. Fox then caught something flashing at the corner of his eye, and he knew what it meant. He let the transmission through, and a familiar face popped up on-screen.

"Looked like you needed some help." Fox grinned upon seeing this familiar face. "It's good to see you too, Bill. Oh, and I think I owe you one now." The husky chuckled at his friend's comment.

"Actually, now we're even. Remember when you helped me all those years ago? Well, I finally found the time to pay you back." Fox found that he got another transmission and saw the image of a blue vixen appear. "Fox, are you alright? Your Arwing is moving very slowly…" the vulpine smiled when he heard Krystal's worried voice. "Don't worry, I'm fine. Just talking to an old friend, that's all. Krystal, I'd like you to meet Bill Grey. Bill, Krystal. We've been friends since the Academy days."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Bill," Krystal politely said. "Right back at 'cha," Bill happily replied. At that point, Bill was unexpectedly shaken. This made him a bit angry, and obliterated the few enemies attacking him with a Nova Bomb. "Um, I'd like to talk more, but we have a war to fight. We can catch up later, old friend." Fox agreed and nodded. "Hey Bill, you think you can help us out with a little something? We need to seal off all of the front line hangar bay doors, and I'm sure that you and your squadrons will be a huge plus." Bill laughed. "Well, I was planning on helpin' you out anyways! Now what are we waitin' for, lets go!" Now, Star Fox, along with Bill and his squadrons, sped towards the first battleship. They suddenly found themselves fending off tons of enemies that emerged from the battleships large hangar. The bay doors then slowly shut together.

"The hangars just closed!" Slippy informed. Fox shot down an annoying craft that was following him around, and then opened a channel to Bill. "Hey, we'll take care of the hangar doors, you guys give us cover!" The husky simply nodded, and closed the transmission. Fox glanced over to Bill's ship, where he saw the husky smile, casually salute, and sped away. "Okay everyone, set your main cannons to stream and target the door. Falco, Slippy, start from the bottom of where the doors meet. Krystal and I will start from the top."

"This better work, McCloud." Falco said. "Don't worry feather head, I know it will." The avian again glared at Fox. The vulpine smirked when he saw Falco glaring at him from his Arwing. "There's no need for-" Falco was abruptly interrupted when Fox started to speak. _Whatever, Foxy_. The irritated bird thought. "Now, on my mark… Mark!" A thin, green laser was fired out of each Arwing. Each met upon the hangar door with a great amount of power. The intensity of the heat produced by the stream lasers melted the metal of the doors together. At last they were done.

"Alright! Looks like they won't be sending any more fighters out!" Slippy gleefully announced. Falco rolled his eyes. "Well thanks for stating the obvious Mr. Know-it-all."

"Falco, knock it out. Alright, who wants to do the honors of blowing up their shields?" Fox asked.

"I want to!" McCloud wasn't surprised at who blurted out. "Hey Krystal, wanna give it a shot?"

The vixen smiled playfully. "I'll do my best." Falco, however, seemed disappointed. "What's this? I said I wanted to first!"

"Falco, chill out. It's not like we have plenty of other things to blow up."

"Whatever you say, McCloud. I just wanted to-"

"Can it Falco, all of your chit chat will make me miss my shot," announced Krystal teasingly. Fox couldn't help but stifle a laugh. The bird once again rolled his eyes.

"As you say, ma'am," he said with all sarcasm possible. After Falco finally shut up, Krystal targeted the exact spot at which the shield generator lied and shot a Nova Bomb. She scored a direct hit, made apparent by the massive explosion that caused sparks, smoke, and fire appearing from the ship.

"Hey, it worked! The entire ship is completely vulnerable!" Slippy ecstatically said. After examining his computers, the toad came up with something. "Target the neck of the ship, if we manage to separate the bridge from the body, we'll cause the main reactor to explode, causing deadly chain reactions all around the ship!"

"You heard the frog, let's get this show on the road!" Falco looped around the neck of the Teruvian battleship before unleashing hell upon it. Soon the others joined in. The neck couldn't stand the pressure and finally severed the bridge from the main body. This caused the chain reaction of explosions Slippy mentioned as the battleship was reduced to twisted metal and blazing fire.

"Hey, you did it! But then again, you always manage to pull it off, somehow," Bill remarked. Fox smirked as he positioned himself on Bill's wing. "Guess we're lucky that way. How'd you and your guys do?"

"Perfectly fine, a few minor cuts and bruises but we'll live," the husky informed.

"Hey, I hate to interrupt but can we get to the next ship already so we can blow it to pieces?" asked an impatient Falco.

"You know Falco, you really need to learn to have patience," Krystal replied, a bit annoyed with the bird and his intolerance. "Whatever, Blueberry. I just need somethin' to do to keep my blood running, ya know?" Krystal was about to respond to this inconsiderate bird when Fox took his place. "I hate to say it Krystal, but he's kinda right," Fox replied. "We need to get on to the next battleship. We have no time to lose. Now, let's get moving!"

_--------------------------------_

REVIEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *ahem* anyways, I know it might be a bit slow at the moment, but things start to heat up once we get to the next part. Until then, see ya.


	8. VIII: Taken Away

**Star Fox**

**  
Desperate Measures**

**By: LilGstryker**

**Disclaimer: Star Fox and everything related to it is owned by Nintendo.**

**Chapter 8**

**  
T A K E N**

**A W A Y**

Aboard the vessel of the Teruvian commander, a certain lizard read the computer screens in front of him. To a normal person these screens would be completely unreadable. The lieutenant, however, was able to read it all fluently. Unfortunately, what he was reading didn't exactly satisfy him. His monotonous facial expression changed; he seemed slightly annoyed and unpleased.

"General Sacohva, we are having a slight problem."

The Teruvian leader glanced towards Lieutenant Telvaa. "What sort of problem?"

"It appears that the Cornerians are pushing through our front line a little quicker than we expected." Sacohva felt a bit surprised, but kept this slight hindrance of emotion hidden away.

"How are they getting through?" asked Sacohva curiously.

"It appears that a group of four fighters has teamed up with one of the Elite Cornerian commanders and his squadrons. The group of four seems to be flying ultra-fighter crafts," the lizard explained. Suddenly a soft beep went off on the computer terminal in front of Telvaa. He read the information that had popped up, and then proceeded to release the information to his higher ranked superior.

"Intel has just sent us the name of this group. It seems that this is the Lylat's elite mercenary group, known as team Star Fox. According to this they ended the infamous Lylat War by defeating Dr. Andross. The Lylatians would've been goners if it weren't for them. The team consists of Fox McCloud, Falco Lombardi, Slippy Toad, Peppy Hare and…" He paused momentarily to look for the last member of Star Fox. "…Ah, here it is. The last member is a blue-furred vulpine named Krystal, no last name recorded."

Sacohva eyes had widened when he had heard that last name. _What? Blue-furred vulpine, Krystal? _ For a moment Sacohva had forgotten that he was fighting a war, forgotten about the attack on their front line, forgotten about his troops he so dearly cared about that were out there fighting. Krystal; that name was all too familiar to him. His attitude changed from dark and somber; he was now very curious, something he hardly ever was or even had to be. His evil ambitions were put aside, at least for the moment. _No, it cannot… There is no possible way! I must find out more. If this really is her..._

"I want more info on this 'Krystal' you speak of," announced Sacohva, trying to hide the fact that he had recognized the name. The lieutenant looked at the general oddly.

"Is there a reason for this sudden burst of curiosity, sir?" Telvaa asked.

"No, my good friend. I just want to know more of this particular person." Telvaa was still slightly puzzled, but carried on the general's "orders." He tapped on Krystal's profile and read it down.

"Well, it appears that she is actually one of the newer members of the team, joining them very shortly after an incident known as the 'Saurian Conflict', where the team had found her living on the primitive planet of Sauria for a while. Fox McCloud was able to rescue her from Andross, who was using her as a tool to resurrect himself. It also appears that she has an extraordinary telepathic ability that allows her to foresee into the future and possibility perform other marvelous skills. Species: Fox. Fur Color: Cerulean blue with white fur. Eye color: Green. Age: 21. She is from a different system and planet, making her alien; however, we do not have enough information to locate her origins."

Sacohva was mixed with the feelings of confusion and an unusual feeling of eagerness, emotions that he rarely dealt with. In his mind he searched for possible solutions. _Could it be? That planet, Sauria… Telepathic ability… This might possibly be her. But how can I know for sure? I must find out! _As Sacohva thought quietly, Telvaa impatiently waited for some sort of response from his leader.

"General, what shall we do with this 'Star Fox'? They are quickly plowing through our defenses, allowing the Cornerian fleet to attack."

The Teruvian general quickly snapped back to reality and quickly formulated a plan. "Release Alpha One. I want to give the Cornerians a taste of our new prototype weapon. I…" He hesitated before speaking again. "I also want you to capture this girl, Krystal." Again, Telvaa looked at Sacohva with peculiar eyes. It was rare that Sacohva ever hesitated, even slightly. "Sir? I must ask why you are-"Before Telvaa could finish his question, Sacohva interrupted him.

"I know what you are about to ask, Telvaa. This 'Krystal', with the help of her telepathic powers, could aid our conquest of the Lylat," he lied. "I already have a plan. I will let you know what to do when the time is right." The lizard simply nodded. _I don't think I should even let Telvaa know about this. I will keep this to myself… For now. Krystal… If it really is you, it has been so long…_

The lieutenant continued to ponder about Sacohva's interest with this girl. _I wonder why Sacohva is so…Obsessed with this girl? _Telvaa thought. _It's as if he once knew her or something… _He suddenly laughed silently at this notion. _No, I must be insane. Daniel really isn't that social of a person… Even with me. How he even got to be a high ranked general in such a short amount of time makes me wonder… _

The lizard snapped out of his thought and remembered the task he was supposed to do. He opened a transmission to the hangar bay, and a black-furred wolf appeared onscreen. "General Sacohva has requested that we release Alpha One immediately."

"Yes sir," the wolf replied.

---------------------------------------------------

_Krystal… If it really is you, it has been so long…. _Krystal was surprised to hear these words. She turned to see if any of her comrades was talking to her, but then it occurred to her that no one had said it physically at all. Krystal assumed that she heard the thoughts of someone... The voice sounded so familiar, as if she had heard it from long ago; and yet she couldn't figure out where or when she had heard this voice. Krystal had this peculiar feeling that something was going to happen to her in the near future. "Hmm, I wonder if it could be… No, how could it be him? But… He's been gone a long time…" She shrugged off the thought, not wanting to think about her terrible past.

"Whoo! We did it, Fox! They are completely fazed from this sudden attack," a toad enthusiastically announced. Fox grinned, trying not to allow pride to take him over. What he, his team, and Bill did was bring down the Teruvian's defense and offensive attacks considerably, leaving them suddenly wide open for the CDF to proceed through. Peppy's old, cheerful face appeared on-screen on everyone's console.

"Good job team! I've informed the admiral of our attack. We can engage at anytime."

"Then what are we waitin' for," Falco butted in. "Let's get this show on the road! I'm getting bored just sittin' here!" Falco, with his impatient attitude, boosted forward to start attacking.

"Damn bird, can't sit still for one second…" Fox said quietly to himself. "Alright guys, we might as well follow him. Let's go!" The rest of the team boosted away shortly after Falco, and started their attack. Soon the CDF started to engage as well. The Teruvian supply of battleships started to diminish as the CDF advanced through. Everyone was doing well, and Cornerian casualties have dropped a little. Falco fired a nova bomb at a battleship. The bomb must have hit a weak spot, because the ship suddenly burst into flames. It swerved sideways, slamming into another battleship, causing both to explode instantaneously.

"Strike down two battleships! This is easier than I thought!" Falco proudly announced.

"Hold on Falco, don't get too excited." Slippy advised. "My readings indicate a strange radioactive signal, but I can't figure out where the source is."

"Slippy, try to find that source." Fox ordered. "We better destroy whatever's emitting the radioactive waves before they start causing damage. Peppy, any sign of where that-"

Krystal's eyes suddenly widened as something started to form almost directly in front of her Arwing. "Umm, guys, I think I just found the source of the waves…" Krystal pointed forwards, and the team looked ahead to see an odd, giant indigo-colored sphere with a smooth, shiny surface suddenly appear.

"That's the thing giving off the waves! No wonder I couldn't find it, it was cloaked," Slippy said. He thought that the sphere resembled Aquas, and was dazed by its majestic appearance.

"That thing's bigger than the Great Fox twice over!" Falco said, stunned. Fox agreed, trying to formulate a plan to destroy this weird sphere.

"Slippy, I want you to scan it and find weak points so we can take it out," said Fox.

"No problem Fox, I shouldn't have trouble with this thing… Wait a second, the energy reading from that sphere just increased dramatically!"

The sphere suddenly began to glow a white light. It began to absorb energy, and the light became increasingly larger as each second passed. Krystal had suddenly realized what this thing was. She couldn't figure out where this sudden knowledge had came from, but she knew she had to inform the team of her discovery.

"This is a weapon of great power! We must get away before it is too late!" she cried.

"What?! Krystal how do you know this?" Fox asked.

"I... I don't know, but what I do know is that the sphere is about to release a powerful ring blast of pure energy, and the blast radius is large. We must get out of the way!" The team started to fly away from the sphere as it continued to glow and gather energy. "Peppy! Contact Evans and tell him about the situation!" Fox said to the hare.

"I'm already on it, Fox!" Peppy put on a headset and hailed the command ship. It was finally answered by the comm. Officer. "This is Peppy of the Great Fox, get me Admiral Evans. Hurry, it is an emergency!" A few seconds later, the admiral picked up. "Peppy, what is the matter?" he asked curiously.

"Admiral, you and your fleet must escape battle quadrant One! The Teruvians have activated a dangerous weapon that could wipe all of you out at any time!"

"Christ, Peppy! I'll let them know immediately! Evans out!" The admiral terminated the connection and immediately started a new one with all ships in battle quadrant One. He quickly cleared his throat and began to speak.

"All ships, this is Admiral Evans: We have an emergency situation. Retreat from battle quadrant One immediately and retreat into the Katinan space zone!" Every ship suddenly stopped attacking and started to recede as quickly as they could. The sudden panic confused the Teruvians, who had stopped firing. Since Star Fox (minus the Great Fox because it isn't within the battle area) was closest to the sphere, they were the farthest ones away from Katinan space. "So, are we gonna make it?" asked Falco hastily.

"As long as the sphere doesn't go off while we're in-range of the blast, we should be fine," informed Krystal.

"How far is the blast radius? We should at least know how far we need to go before we're out-of-range," asked Fox.

".I'm sorry Fox, I don't know." Krystal replied, sighing.

"Well, my scanner's show that there is some sort of chamber inside the sphere that can hold a large amount of radioactive and pure energy. The sphere then mixes the energy and transforms the mixture into a highly concentrated weapon that can be released up to an indefinite range," Slippy informed.

"So you're saying that the distance it can travel can't be determined?" Fox asked quizzically.

"The range of the weapon is determined by some other factor that I don't know about yet. What I can tell you is that if we don't make it out in time-"

"-We're screwed," Falco interrupted.

"Basically, yeah," responded Slippy. They continued on as fast as their Arwings would let them escape.

---------------------------------------------------

"Sir, our ships are confused and have ceased their attacks because the Cornerian's are fleeing. They must know of Alpha One's capabilities. Should we activate it now?" asked the weapons officer.

"Hmm? How do they know of Alpha's power? I didn't expect them to retreat, or even know of our prototype," he asked, irritated. The officer could hear the impatience in the general's voice. He became slightly nervous.

"W-We don't know," he stuttered.

Sacohva stood in silence, thinking. This make the officer shift his eyes uneasily. The general only did this when he was frustrated, and no one liked it when Sacohva became frustrated; especially after an incident that involved Sacohva, a double-edged sword, and a newbie ensign that ticked the general off. Sacohva might care a lot for his soldiers, but has no tolerance for the ones that aggravate him with their own stupidity.

"What is Alpha's energy absorption efficiency?" To the officer's relief, Sacohva didn't seem so impatient anymore.

"It is at 85 percent due to minor mechanical and withdrawal errors that have arisen after we launched it."

"…And what is the energy withdrawal amount?

"The amount is at 7,305 out of 50,000 R/PE-units (Radioactive/ Pure Energy) and rising." The general seemed a bit dissatisfied when he heard the number, but didn't display it.

"I suppose it will do, although that is not as much power as I wanted it to be." He paused. "Besides, we are only giving them a taste of what we have in store, and this amount will surely alert them of what sort of power they are dealing with," the general contemplated.

"Activate it."

The leader walked over to a computer terminal and examined it closely. "It seems that Star Fox is still within blast radius. Once they get caught in the second wave, I want you to send retrieval ships to get Krystal."

"And what shall we do with Star Fox?" Telvaa asked, anticipating the general's response.

"Do not worry about them, as they shall be incinerated. They are still much too close to Alpha to make an escape." Telvaa smiled forebodingly and began preparations for activation of Alpha One.

---------------------------------------------------

CDF ships were still attempting to escape to Katinan space. Fox was a bit worried, as they were probably still within the blast radius of the sphere.

"Do you think we are far away enough from the sphere?" he asked.

"I hope so. I can still see the sphere; I want to _not _be able to see that damned thing," Falco said.

"Yeah, we don't even know it's pow- Aughh!"

Fox was suddenly interrupted as a bright flash of light appeared from behind the Arwings. The sphere was glowing so brightly that Fox covered his face with his arms to protect his eyes. When the light was gone, all the Arwings suddenly came to a halt.

"What the… My Arwing! It won't move!" Falco panicked.

"What's going on? Why aren't we moving?" Krystal nervously asked. Peppy appeared on the comm. Screen.

"Team, what's going on? The radar indicated that you stopped completely."

Slippy was the first to reply. "We don't know. We just suddenly stopped. I'm running a system diagnosis, but I haven't found anything yet. Maybe the-"

"I've figured out the problem!" Peppy abruptly declared. "Your computer systems have been disabled," the hare notified.

"By what gramps, magic?" Falco sarcastically responded while trying to fix his ship and get it to move.

" No: When the sphere flashed it sent out a weak powered EMP wave that momentarily takes the system out. It will take five minutes for your ship to auto-correct itself. It seems that some of our ships also have been caught in the blast." Peppy sighed. "For now, your all sitting ducks I'm afraid," Peppy said with regret.

Slippy was worried. "So now what? We're probably still to close to the sphere, and we don't know when it's going to go off."

"Well, hopefully the EMP wears off quick enough so that we can escape. For now, we just have to wait," Fox figured. Fox's console beeped, and he looked down to see what was wrong. He noticed on his radar two ships making their way to his team's position.

"Hey, what are those?" Fox asked.

"I don't know Fox. Maybe they're Teruvian recon vessels," guessed Peppy.

"Why would they be recons? Why are they even sending any ships in the first place?" Slippy asked.

"I can see them," Falco said. "They look sort of like retrieval ships. But why are they sending them to us?" The ships were finally in plain view and directly in front of the team. Out of instinct Fox pulled the trigger to fire a shot, but saw nothing emerge from the cannon.

"Damn, we can't even shoot them!" Suddenly, both ships shot out blue beams at Krystal's Arwing. She flinched as she felt her ship violently. Krystal noticed that her ship health gauge didn't change at all.

"What are they doing? My ship wasn't even damaged!"

"Krystal, those are tractor beams!" Fox opened a video/audio channel to one of the opposing ships. A wolf with ruffled fur appeared on-screen.

"What do you think you're doing? Get your dirty ass hands off her!" Fox angrily yelled.

"Sorry, orders are orders," the wolf said with a gruff voice. The connection was cut, and Fox's screen turned blank. _Orders? What orders? Why would they be ordered to capture Krystal?? _He looked back up to see the two ships starting to move away, pulling Krystal with them.

"NO!" He tried to boost forwards to catch them, but the ship's engine was still out.

"Fox! Help! Where are they taking me? Fox? Fox-" she was suddenly cut off, and nothing but static filled the screen that had once occupied Krystal's face.

"No, no, no! Krystal! Krystal!!" he tried to re-establish a connection, but nothing worked. Soon, the ship and Krystal were out of site as well as out of range of the radars.

"…How can this happen? Why did I let them take her? This was only her first mission! I promised her she wouldn't get hurt…" Fox felt was filled with regret. He slammed his console with his fists in anger.

"I'm sorry buddy, but there was nothing you could do. Our ships still aren't online, so it's not all your fault," Falco said, trying to console his friend.

"Yeah! Besides, I'm sure that we can get her back!" Slippy enthusiastically said, trying to cheer Fox up.

"But how?" Fox asked. "We can't move, and if we don't get going soon, that sphere thing will destroy us. I know there has to be a way…"

"Fox, there actually is a way!" Peppy informed happily. "All the Arwings have tracking devices installed inside of them. That's how you were able to rescue Slippy on Titania from the bio-weapon." Slippy shuttered. "Don't remind me…" he said quietly. Peppy continued. "As of right now, I'm tracking her position and she seems safe and sound. Unfortunately Krystal is within Teruvian territory and is heading to one of their ships."

"What do they even want with her? She has done nothing wrong," Fox spoke defensively.

Suddenly, the Arwings were shaken by a massive force. "What was that!?" Slippy fearfully asked. Suddenly the sphere imploded, sending waves of pure energy in all directions. Teruvian vessels weren't affected by this violent wave, as they were specially protected by a certain kind of shielding. Unfortunately, the Cornerians were not as lucky.

"It's released the energy!! We're screwed, dammit!" Falco yelled as he desperately tried to make his Arwing move. Suddenly, the Arwing's main system activated, and the engine whined to life. Fox and Slippy's Arwings were back online as well.

"Yeah, the Arwings work again!" Slippy yelled excitedly.

"Well then lets make like a puck and get the fu-"

"Falco, shut the hell up and let's go!" The team blasted forwards, hoping that they would make it on time. The wave's velocity increased, and soon the wave was almost directly behind them.

"Crap! My engine's about to burn out! There's too much heat and radiation comin' from the damn wave!" Falco shouted. They were all dangerously close to the wave. It was only a few meters away from each member of the team. Alarms started to blare in Fox's cockpit as it was filled with a blood red from the warning light. _Come on, baby, bring me home! We've been through harder times, don't let me down yet! _Sparks erupted as the Arwing started to shut down from the excessive radiation and heat that Falco had mentioned earlier. Both his wings by now had deteriorated. "No, not now!" He screamed. The wave was about to hit when suddenly, it had completely vanished. The team looked around, but did not see anything. It definitely was gone.

"Alright! We must have made it outside of the blast radius just on time!" Slippy slumped in his seat, relieved.

"Thank the Creator, my G-Diffusers were about to go kaboom," Falco remarked.

"Is everyone alright?" Peppy's frantic face appeared. There was worry painted all over it.

"Yeah, we're good," Fox responded. "My Arwing got smoked though," another eruption of sparks came up from his console, which made Fox flinch a little.

"Admiral Evans is thankful for our alert. He said that only a few of our ships got destroyed. The fact that those ships went down is regrettable, but at least they can rest at peace now and not have to deal with these powerful adversaries," Peppy pronounced.

"Yeah. I guess so," Falco replied lazily. The team made it back to the Great Fox, and met up in the bridge.

---------------------------------------------'

"Glad you're all in one piece," Peppy told them as they walked through the doors to the bridge. "Anyways, the admiral had informed me that the Teruvians have backed off for some reason, so we have time to rest."

"…And do repairs to the Arwings, too," Slippy added.

Fox had suddenly remembered about Krystal. He was still ashamed of himself for letting her be kidnapped so easily.

"We need to rescue Krystal." Fox's expression was firm. "This is a first priority. If we work together, we can find her and bring 'er home. Peppy, we're going to pin-point the exact location of were Krystal has been taken." The hare nodded.

"Slippy, I want you to get working on the Arwings. Try to have them ready in less than 48 hours."

"You can count on me, Fox," the toad replied.

"I know I can. In fact, Falco will help you out."

"Will do, McCloud," Falco said simply. _Huh. He actually didn't complain._

"I'm not going to sit here idly and let my teammate suffer because I failed as a leader to keep her safe. Now, let's do this!" The team whooped, and then went to do their jobs. Peppy smiled.

_What a fine leader you have become, Fox…_

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Finally, this chapter is done. Hopefully you guys don't have to wait long periods of time ever again.


	9. IX: Revelation

**Star Fox**

**  
Desperate Measures**

**By: LilGstryker**

I'm really sorry that I haven't updated in such a long time. I had major writer's block, mixed in with… I don't know, a lot of things. Again, I apologize to all of you that had to wait. I know, it's been several months. Hopefully it won't happen again. I'll make a recap for those of you that don't want to go back through the story again.

---------------------------------

*AHEM* Some time after Fox and Falco killed Andross, Fox accepted Krystal onto the team. While Fox and Krystal were having an Arwing scrimmage the Great Fox was attacked by who are now known as the Teruvians, who came from the Garrack system of Sector 5. Their intentions are yet to be revealed. According to Pepper's tragic encounter with them and Peppy's grudge against them, they destroyed a planet called Saturna, but haven't been back since for an unknown reason. After speaking with Pepper, Star Fox heads toward Katina in the hopes of defending it from these new invaders.

General Sacohva, commander of the Teruvian fleet attacking Katina, was determined to destroy the Lylatian's defense. Soon the battle over Katina commenced as thousands of ships, from dreadnaughts to fighters, began their attacks. With the help of an undisclosed prototype weapon, Sacohva confidently continues the assault. Meanwhile, Admiral Daniel Evans, commander of the Cornerian Defense Fleet, asks Commander Bill Grey and his three squadrons to help a battleship named the _Icefire _back to repair docks as it has been heavily damaged. After achieving this goal he sees Star Fox off in the distance and decides to go help an old friend.

After an awkward situation, Bill comes in and scatters away the Teruvians that were battling Star Fox. They decide to team up and take down the forward attack lines of the Teruvian fleet. They destroy several Teruvian vessels, allowing the advance of the CDF.

Lieutenant Telvaa of the commanding Teruvian vessel informed Sacohva of the CDF's breakthrough. The Teruvian general asked how they were able to break the forward lines. Telvaa notifies his leader that a team named Star Fox leaded this attack, tells a little about there background and how they stopped Andross during the Lylat Wars and once again during the Saurian Incident. He tells the name of all the members. When Telvaa mentioned and described Krystal, the general was shocked to hear the name. Sacohva is somehow linked to Krystal, but it is yet to be discovered how. He asks Telvaa to activate the secret weapon and bring Krystal to him. Albeit that they were some pretty odd orders from a man that almost always made sensible actions, Telvaa obeys.

Just a small distance away from the Teruvian attack line, Slippy picks up abnormal energy readings from an unknown source. Krystal saw something form in front of her: the secret weapon, which was a large, aqua-colored sphere that was bursting with energy. Fox tries to find a weak point when Krystal suddenly knows how the weapon functions and advises that they all need to leave the battle parameter immediately. After Peppy informs Admiral Evans about the situation, they boost away from the sphere. While trying to make an escape, the team's Arwings suddenly freeze and stop working due to an EMP wave sent out by the sphere. Two Teruvian ships come and abduct Krystal, leaving Fox helpless and unable to help because of the EMP. After the sphere releases the stored up energy, the Arwings re-activate and they barely escape, but not without heavily damaged Arwings. Fox vows that he will rescue Krystal, and begins to set up a plan.

There you have it. On with the story.

------------------------------------

**Chapter 9**

**R E V E L A T I O N**

"Where are you taking me?? I said answer me!" Krystal shouted as she tried to get the wolf that kidnapped her to talk.

"Jesus, shut up already you bitch!" the wolf angrily yelled back, obviously annoyed with Krystal's constant questioning and bickering. He finally cut the line, not wanting to hear another bit of her voice. Krystal wasn't about to give up, and contacted her abductor once again. The communicator in the wolf's ship started to beep again. Undoubtedly aggravated, the wolf formed an idea in his head. "This will definitely get her to shut the hell up," the wolf grumbled to himself.

He flipped a few switches and pressed a button with unnecessary force, showing his irritation. At first it didn't seem like it did anything, but then suddenly a stream of electricity traveled down the tractor beam and into Krystal's Arwing. Since there was no shield to protect her, Krystal was fully vulnerable to the electricity. She screamed in pain as the volts traveled throughout her entire body. She slumped in her pilot's seat unconscious as the electrocution came to an end. The wolf smiled as he saw the result of this cruel deed. _I love these new fighters,_ he thought to himself. The wolf's partner noticed this action, and opened a comm. Channel with him.

"You okay over there, Tom?" Tom's companion asked.

"Now I am." They continued there journey to the commanding Teruvian ship.

------------------------------------------

Ever since Fox had dismissed the team to go perform their duties, he had been trying to communicate with Krystal. He tried contacting her ship and her wrist communicator, but she never answered his calls.

"Damn… I still can't get a hold of her, Peppy. It seems that both her Arwing communicator and her wrist communicator have been deactivated." He sighed as he leaned back in the chair he was sitting in. _How can I let this happen? I still feel terrible… I don't think I'll ever be worthy enough to be with a girl like her …_"Have you determined her location yet?" he asked, trying not to show his emotions through his voice.

"Yes Fox, I've actually just pin-pointed her exact location." Fox's ears perked as he sat up surprised to how fast Peppy had found her position. "According to these coordinates of the tracking instrument, she is already on the Teruvian commanding ship, known as the _Royale,_ which is at the very back of their fleet. Thanks to Slippy's scan back there, I was also able to find out a little about this ship. It's practically a huge, upgraded dreadnaught battleship, fully equipped with anti-fighter turrets, plasma turrets, plasma cannons, stream cannons and turrets, nova launchers, missile launchers, along with a full hangar of fighters...," he informed his captain.

Fox thought for a moment. _How are we even going to get back there? There is no way we can just force our way through the front… Even with the help of the CDF it would take a while before we could actually confront the commanding ship… When we __**do**__ meet up with that ship, we're going to have one hell of a time trying to enter it… _ As Fox contemplated what course of action that they should take, he slowly smiled as an idea formulated in his head.

"What's with the smile, Fox? Got any ideas?" Peppy asked curiously.

"Peppy… I think it's time we gave those new stealth prototypes for the Arwings another chance," he announced. "Since the Teruvians have backed off, there shouldn't be too much trouble as long as we use the stealth weapons. I'm gonna be doing this alone. No point in bringing the entire team for a stealth rescue mission."

"I see… Well Fox, there is a slight problem with those stealth prototypes…" Peppy mentioned.

"Problem? I don't remember any problems with those… Unless your talking about that one time when-"

"Yes Fox, that time," Peppy interrupted. "Remember what happened when we installed it into your Arwing to test it out? The Arwing shut down after it came out of cloak, and we had to tow you back to the hangar because we couldn't get your Arwing to boot up again," reminded Peppy.

"That was a while ago, Peppy. I'm pretty sure that Slip has been able to work on it. Anyways, once I infiltrate the Teruvian space territory, I'll head to the _Royale_ and enter the hangar when it opens. Then I'll use the mobile stealth units we received from the Cornerian Military to sneak through the ship 'till I find her."

"How will you know where she is in the ship? You probably won't be able to track her through her wrist communicator," The hare mentioned.

"Simple. I'll have Slippy hack into the _Royale's _database so that we'll have the inside mapped out," Fox replied. "They're most likely keeping her in the ship's brig. After I find Krystal, I'll give her a stealth unit and we'll sneak back out to my Arwing. We'll wait until they re-open the hangar doors, then we'll fly out." Peppy was still uncertain about this rescue plan, mostly because of the dangers that Fox could encounter should the prototype fail. If the unit failed while Fox was in the middle of Teruvian territory, he was going to have one huge problem on his hands.

"So Peppy… What do you say?" Fox asked the hare.

"I assume you realize how big of a risk you are taking," Peppy warned. Fox simply nodded. "Of course I do. But I'm willing to go through anything to get Krystal back," he said with self-assurance. "Well, if you say so. Let's test that prototype in the hangar bay first, after the boys are done fixing those Arwings. Then we'll see what we can do," Peppy said.

"Alright, sounds like a plan. I'll go down and help Falco and Slippy finish up those Arwings. It's been a good few hours, and I'm pretty sure they would appreciate the help." Fox stood up and headed towards the bridge elevator. After entering, the sliding doors slid shut. "What level, please," asked the monotonic computer voice.

"Docking bay," Fox responded. He felt the elevator slightly jolt as it began its descent to the requested area. As he stood in the elevator, Fox reflected on the battle that they were just in. He had just realized that he had lost contact with Bill trying to escape from the sphere. _Where did he go? I don't remember seeing him after that sphere appeared. I hope he and his squadrons survived. Maybe when I get back to the bridge I'll try contacting him. Damn, I knew it seemed too good to be true… It was a lot easier to get through the Teruvian forward attack line than I expected… _He thought back to Krystal's abduction, and how he could do nothing but sit there and watch helplessly._ Just hold tight Krystal. I will bring you back, no matter what it takes…_

----------------------------------------

Down in the hangar bay, Falco and Slippy were busily working on the damaged Arwings. Everything was going smoothly despite how smashed up the Arwings were. The Arwings were moved to the back part of the hangar to make them easier to fix. Slippy, who was wearing his yellow jumpsuit with a utility belt for his tools, was lying on his back fixing the fuselage of his Arwing. Falco, who was wearing a white tank top with some dark blue jeans that were ripped, was working on Fox's Arwing. Out of all the Arwings, Fox's Arwing was in the worst condition. It had both wings missing and sparks flying out of the G-diffusers. The pilot canopy was cracked, and the engine was smoking. There were a few hull breaches in the fuselage, and you could see the insides of the body complex.

"Hey Falco, help me fuse these energy converters real quick. They're getting to be a real pain," Slippy grumbled.

"Alright, hold up. I just gotta… Jam-this--together-CLINK-there! Finished installing the port gravity blade... Now, what is it you want?" Falco asked as he walked over to Slippy, wiping the sweat of his brow.

"Alright, hold this converter… I just have to fuse this wire to it…" Slippy took a laser cutter and activated the fuser, then applied a thin laser beam to the wire to meld it into the energy converter. "Now I just gotta mend this end of the energy converter… Alright, I'm finished. You can let go now, Falco." The bird released his grip on the converter, which firmly held its place in the Arwing. Slippy picked up a panel placed it back on the Arwing. He sighed as he took a rag and wiped the sweat of his face.

"Ok, I've taken care of all the major damage that's been done to my Arwing… How's Fox's Arwing, Falco?" Slippy asked.

"I've managed to re-install the port gravity blade… I'm pretty sure I can fix the other gravity blade myself. The engine is fried though, I'm gonna need your help with that. The G-Diffusers definitely need some work, as well," Falco replied.

"Hmm… ok, let's get to work," Slippy keenly replied.

As the two walked over to the damaged Arwing, the docking bay doors slid open as Fox walked through.

"What's up Fox, come to harass us?" Falco joked.

"Nah, just here to help out," Fox replied. "So, how are repairs going?"

"Well, we were just about to work on your Arwing, Fox. I'm pretty much done with mine." Slippy explained. "Your Arwing is in pretty bad condition, I have to say."

"Really? Well how bad can it… Oh." Fox frowned as he turned his head to see that his beloved Arwing was totally trashed, except for the wing that Falco just installed.

"…Yeah, Fox. It's that bad," Falco said.

Fox slowly sighed, a bit disappointed in himself for letting his Arwing get in that sort of condition. "The only damage I knew of was my gravity blades and my engine… I really didn't notice all that other damage partly because of how much of a hurry I was in to get to the bridge. Well, we should get to work I suppose."

"Ok Fox, can you work on the starboard gravity blade while Falco and I work on the engine system?" Slippy asked the vulpine.

"Sure thing, buddy." Fox went to the supply room to grab the needed material for the gravity blade repair. He grabbed a utility belt and hooked it around his waist, placing various tools in it. As he lifted up the material onto his shoulder, he remembered that he had to ask Slippy about the stealth units. After making sure that he had everything, Fox made his way back to the Arwing and put down the material next to it, then went to the engine to see Slippy, who was standing on a ladder repairing somewhere near the top of the engine along with Falco.

"He Slip, ya got a sec?" Fox half-shouted over the loud noises that came out of the tools.

"Yeah Fox, hold on I'll be right down?" Slippy replied. He said something to Falco who plainly nodded and went back to work. "What is it, Fox?" the toad asked as he climbed down the ladder.

"Have you been able to fix those prototype stealth units for the Arwings?"

"Of course. There about… I'd say 97 percent done. I just need to make a few more adjustments, and they'll be good to go. Why do you ask?" he asked curiously.

"To make a long story short, I'm going to use one of those units to infiltrate Teruvian space territory to go and rescue Krystal," Fox informed. Slippy looked at the vulpine with uncertainty gleaming in his eyes. "Gee Fox, sounds pretty risky. So you're going alone?" the toad asked.

"Yeah," Fox responded, "There's less of a chance to be spotted if there is only one of us. Besides, I feel that it is my responsibility to rescue Krystal, being that I am the captain and I am responsible for all of my teammates," the vulpine explained.

"Well, if you say so, Fox. I'll be more than happy to support you from the Great Fox, though. Whatever it takes to get Krystal back, right?"

"Yeah... Thank you Slippy, this means a lot to me," Fox grinned as he pat his friend on the shoulder. "Hey, it's no problem, Fox. You know I'm always here for ya," Slippy responded gleefully.

"So," said Fox, "We'll have a short briefing up in the bridge before the mission. When it is time for-"

"Uh, I hate to interrupt your little conversation, but can I get a little help up here?" Falco asked, abruptly interrupting Fox. After he said this he unexpectedly dropped his wrench from the ladder he was on while trying to fix something that would usually require two people to repair. He cursed as he climbed down the steps of the ladder to retrieve the tool.

"Ya see? This wouldn't have happened if you were up here helping, Slip-up," Falco irritatingly announced.

"Ah, sorry Falco... Fox was just asking me to do something, I'll be coming back up in a second," Slippy told the feathered avian.

"Yeah, you better be coming back up… Always got to do things myself…" Falco mumbled as he once again climbed the ladder.

"We better get back to work before Falco gets too annoyed," Fox advised. Slippy whole-heartedly agreed, and they both went back to repair the extensive damage on Fox's Arwing.

-------------------------------------

Krystal's eyes slowly opened as she gained consciousness. Her vision was blurry, and her entire body was aching. She had a massive headache as well. As she sat up holding her head, her vision slid back into focus, and she could see clearly again. She looked around and noticed that she was no longer in her Arwing, but in some sort of enclosed room with white walls. She also realized that her wrist communicator had been taken, which would explain why she couldn't receive Fox's calls. The only things that were in the room were a simple bed and a sink. As Krystal turned her head to see what was behind her, she noticed some sort of greenish barrier that blocked the exit of the room. _A laser barrier?_ _I must be in some sort of prison…_ Krystal tried to stand up, but the pain in her thighs kept her from doing so. M_y entire body hurts… That damn wolf…_ Trying to ignore the soreness in her legs, she slowly stood up and walked towards the laser barrier to try and see what was happening on the other side. Different crew members were running by as they went towards their destinations. _I must be onboard a Teruvian vessel… But why would they want me? What have I done? _As she pondered over this seemingly bizarre action, a scaly lizard walked up to her on the other side of the barrier. It was Lieutenant Telvaa. He eyed her for a second before finally speaking.

"Ah, so you must be the Krystal that the general was talking about… He is very eager to meet you," Telvaa told Krystal. The vixen was clearly confused by the words that had come out of the lieutenant's mouth.

"Who are you? And why does your commander want to meet me?" she asked sourly.

"I am Lieutenant Telvaa. Pleased to meet you." The lizard cracked an odd smile. "General Sacohva has not told me exactly why he wanted to see you, which I find very surprising. He says he wants you because of your telepathic powers, but I for some reason find that highly doubtful." Krystal was surprised at how Telvaa knew of her telepathic abilities.

"How do you know of my powers? Is this general you speak of a telepathic as well?" She asked curiously.

Telvaa laughed at her statement. "No no, Krystal. We have other ways of acquiring information, ways that are more… realistic. Anyways, the general will be here shortly, he just needs to take care of a few matters. It has been a pleasure, Krystal." The lizard bowed and walked away. As Telvaa made his way back to the bridge, he thought about Krystal's statement about Sacohva. _I wonder… No, it can't be. Why have I been thinking these strange thoughts lately? First I think that he personally knows Krystal, now this. I highly doubt that he has any sort of extrasensory powers… Rarely have I ever seen an actual telepathic besides Krystal. Then again, you never know with the general…_

_So, even Telvaa doesn't know if he has powers or not…_ Krystal opened her eyes after she finished reading the lizard's mind. There has been something that was bothering her ever since she had woken up onboard the _Royale_, yet she couldn't explain this odd feeling. _Why am I picking up this sensation? I'm not to sure what it is, but this feeling really feels familiar… _She watched through the small window of the room the Teruvian vessels that were at rest, probably prepping for the next time the battle starts._ Hmm, I wonder if this ship…_ She formed an idea in her head as a Teruvian crew member walked by. The vixen briefly read his mind to pry out some information of her current location. _So, I'm on the Royale, the commanding vessel of the Teruvian fleet… I guess that would make sense, knowing that their commander is onboard… I should contact Fox and let him know that I'm okay..._ Krystal calmly closed her eyes as she used her telepathic ability to contact Fox.

_-------------------------------------_

The three man crew after several, harsh hours finally had finally finished working on Fox's Arwing. The ship still had a few complications, but they were very minor and pretty much unnoticeable. The only thing left to do was the polishing, but Fox deemed it unimportant and recommended that they take a short break, then return to finish Falco's Arwing. The three team members made their way to the kitchen, as they were all extremely hungry due to the amount of energy that they had used up. After washing up a bit and preparing meals, the three silently ate their food, all too hungry to say anything to one another. It was after Fox swallowed a gulp of water that he heard an all too familiar voice in his head.

_Fox… Fox, can you hear me?_

The vulpine was surprised to hear this voice; he immediately recognized that it belonged to Krystal.

_Krystal, is that you?_

_Yes Fox, I'm using my abilities to connect with your mind. _

Fox was overjoyed to be able to speak with Krystal, especially since he had been trying to contact her for almost a couple of hours.

_Krystal, are you alright? Please tell me you're not hurt… I'm sorry that I couldn't protect you, please forgive me Krystal… _The vixen could hear the sincerity in Fox's "voice" as well as feel his emotions, and she knew that he was truly sorry.

_Fox... You know that this isn't your fault. You couldn't have done anything anyways because of the EMP wave. _

_I know, Krystal… But I still feel accountable because as a captain I am responsible for the safety of my teammates, and knowing that I failed to do fulfill that responsibility just kills, especially since I let it happen to a newer teammate._

Krystal was taken aback by Fox's strong sense of responsibility. This was one of the reason's she was so in love with him, but now was not the time to be thinking about such things.

_Peppy told me that you were aboard the Teruvian commanding vessel named the Royale, _Fox stated.

_Yes, that is true. They have me locked up in the brig,_ the vixen explained.

_I knew it… But what for? Have you found out why those bastards kidnapped you?_

_Unfortunately no, I haven't. One of the crew members called Lieutenant Telvaa informed me that General Sacohva, the commander of the fleet, organized this kidnap because he believes that my telekinetic powers will help them in their conquest. It was strange, though… Telvaa highly doubted that these were the general's actual reasons for my kidnap…_

Fox was slightly perplexed as to why Telvaa was uncertain of Sacohva's actions. _That is indeed strange, Krystal… Don't worry, though. I've formulated a plan to rescue you. I'm going to install the stealth unit into the Arwing, sneak into the Royale using a mobile stealth unit, and then find you and get outta there. No matter what happens Krystal, I'm going to get you out of there._

_Fox, please hurry… I don't know what's going to happen…_

_Krystal, don't worry. Everything will be fine. I'm going to go prep for the mission now. Stay in touch, Krystal. And try to stay safe._

_I will… _Krystal gulped nervously. "I wonder if now would be the appropriate time to tell him…" _Fox, I- I have something to tell you._

_What is it, Krystal?_

_I… I… _She was about to announce her love for him, but decided that doing so over a telepathic line isn't a suitable way to do such a thing. _Never mind, Fox… See you later._

_Bye, Krystal. Remember, I'll be there…_

Fox slowly opened his eyes, only to find to sets of eyes staring back at him. "Fox, what were you doing? You've been sitting there for like five minutes with your eyes closed," Falco asked.

"I was talking to Krystal through telepathy…" The vulpine explained.

"What, really? I didn't know that she could do that," Slippy said with surprise in his voice.

"Yeah, me neither. She told me that she was kidnapped because the Teruvian leader General Sacohva wanted her for the telepathic abilities she possesses… But one of the Teruvian officers thinks that this isn't the case… Anyways, I have something to do. I'll see you guys later." Fox picked up his plate and put it in the sink and headed for the bridge. After greeting Peppy he immediately went to a computer terminal to look up something. The old hare was curious of why Fox was in such a hurry.

"What exactly are you doing, Fox?"

"I'm looking up information on the Teruvian commander, General Sacohva…"

"General Sacohva? How did you find this information?" The hare asked, slightly confused.

"Krystal told me through telepathy," Fox explained.

"Well I'll be…" The hare muttered. "Is she alright?"

"At the moment, yes. She's doing fine. Right now I'm trying to find out some background information on this Sacohva guy, but so far I haven't been able to find information about him and rarely any on the Garrack System."

"Well, Sector 5 isn't all that well known. Rarely has a Lylatian ever been through that region of space," Peppy informed.

"Damn, I knew that was the case… I can have Slippy try and hack one of the Teruvian ship's databases, see if that works. Guess I'll head back down to the docking bay to help the guys out again and install that stealth unit into my Arwing." Fox sighed, and after closing a program on the computer he got up and made his way down to the docking bay.

---------------------------

After her "talk" with Fox, Krystal simply sat at the bed that was provided for her, waiting for this general to arrive. She was still sore from the electrical shock, and slowly drifted to sleep. She started to have dreams of her distressed past and her families and friends back at Cerinia. Tears unknowingly formed in her eyes as she re-lived her past in her dreams. She woke up with a startle, breathing hard with tears flowing from her eyes. Why she was having those dreams was unknown to her, because ever since she had been with Star Fox those horrible dreams have stopped. Maybe it was because she could finally move on, away from her past, and start a new future with her new home and family in the Lylat. Maybe the dreams had to do with this familiar feeling that she had in the back of her mind. She still couldn't think of what it was or where it came from, and slowly sighed as she sat on the bad, still holding her head in pain from the headache that she had. It was then that a figure wearing a hood and cloak approached the vixen slowly. Although she couldn't tell, the general slowly smiled as he finally saw her face-to-face.

"You must be General Sacohva…" Krystal stated. It was clear that she was still angry that this general had kidnapped her because of the irritation that was evident in her voice. Sacohva could hear it; he could feel it. He walked to a control panel near the laser barrier and pressed a button, which caused the barrier to disappear. He walked into the cell, still smiling. He could see no only the anger in her eyes, but the fear that was emanating from her being as well.

"Krystal… There is no need to be afraid of me. I am not here to harm you. Rather, I'm here to see if you were the real thing… And now I know that it really _is _you…"

Krystal recognized the general's voice. _Where have I heard his voice before? It seems so familiar… _The general lifted his hands quickly. Krystal was startled by his actions, but soon realized that he was just removing his hood. The face that showed brought awe to Krystal; her eyes widened and her heartbeat increased as she stared into the general's eyes. She couldn't believe who was standing in front of her.

"…Brother?"

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Phew… I actually posted a chapter… We'll see how the rest of this goes. I still have a little writers block, but I'll be sure to keep on posting. Hope you enjoyed this one.

LilGstryker


	10. X: Solitude

**Star Fox**

**  
Desperate Measures**

Okay, so I'm back. Things are going well finally, so I had time to work on this story. This chapter will mainly be about Fox and his preparation for his rescue mission. Sorry, no Krystal or Sacohva in this chapter, so you'll have to wait a little longer. I promise though that the next one will. Instead of putting Fox's entire mission and explaining Sacohva and Krystal in one chapter, I decided to split it in two. This chapter took tons of writing and editing (for me anyways… Wish I had an editor) and if I wrote out the entire thing it would've taken me a lot longer to update. I didn't want to leave you all hangin, so here you go. Without further ado…

-------------------------

**C H A P T E R **

**1 0 **

**Solitude**

Fox was slowly walking down one of the many hallways of the Great Fox. He had just finished talking with Slippy about the stealth prototype for the Arwing. The toad had let him know that in maybe another hour or so, the prototype would be finished, and Fox could finally commence his rescue operation. He offered to help install the system, but Slippy refused and advised that Fox should get some rest before the mission. After they had finished repairing Falco's Arwing, Fox took Slippy's suggestion and headed towards his own living quarters. Fox wasn't in any real hurry to get to his room, so he took his time and went at his own pace. It was eerily quiet in the Great Fox's corridors. The only noise that could be heard was Fox's own footsteps and the engines of the Great Fox, which made a quiet, soothing humming sound. The sound of the engine's silent purr seemed to relieve Fox a tad, but he was still slightly troubled by everything that has been happening. As he continued at his leisurely pace, he thought of the events that had recently took place. The whole situation was bothersome to Fox, and he wanted to figure out what he could do to stop this frustratingly persistent feeling. After what seemed like an eternity, Fox saw his room. He paused briefly to let out a relieved sigh, and then started walking towards his destination. As the vulpine stepped near the doors, they quickly slid open to allow his entry. He entered swiftly, and after his body passed the door's sensors they slid shut behind him. Fox turned to his left and pressed a few keys on a panel that was located right next to the doors. When he was finished inputting a code the panel beeped and the door's locking mechanism activated. Fox didn't want any intruders at the moment; he just wanted to get away from everything and everyone at the moment.

His room looked quite normal. He had the option to make the room a little more extravagant, but he ended up denying the offer because the vulpine felt that all the extra space wouldn't be needed. It was like any other living quarter on the Great Fox; there was a bed up against the far corner of the wall that had a small bed stand next to it that included a little drawer for smaller items. On the bed stand were a lamp and a picture frame with a photo of James McCloud wearing his signature black shades; Fox as a small kit was riding on top of his shoulders. This photo represented a part of Fox's past that he had always wanted to re-live over and over again. A walk-in closet was right next to the entrance of the room, and had enough room for ten people to stand in. Fox kept a variety of things in here; not only did it have his clothes and other apparel in it, but also a few weapons and other objects as well. The bathroom was located right next to the closet. On the wall farthest from the door over the bed were two large windows that allowed someone to see the sparkling stars that littered the mysterious void of space. The room also had a mahogany desk located next to the bed. Fox's desk had an untidy scatter of papers sprawled across the surface; there was also a laptop, a handheld touch-screen pad, and a small lamp. The desk supplied several drawers that housed many important documents. One more picture frame was located on this desk; it was a picture of Krystal and Fox in front of the Cornerian Defense Base. Both Fox and Krystal were smiling brightly; their eyes were gleaming with vivacity. The vulpine had especially treasured this picture, as it was the only photo that the two were actually alone in.

The vulpine promptly sat on his bed, plopping down heavily and letting out a deep sigh. He leaned back on his bed using his arms to support his body. Questions were swarming within the confines of his mind. He wondered why these foreign invaders, these Teruvians, had come to the Lylat. So far there had been no real indication as to why they had come back after many years. Fox thought for a long time about the ordeal. Was it for revenge, like Andross had done? But according to Pepper's story, they didn't really have any reason for revenge. Maybe they returned solely to start where they left off. Fox seemed to think that this was the most reasonable answer. But why would the Teruvian's want to conquer Lylat in the first place? At least Andross had a rationale explanation for his declaration of war. Banishment to a hellish planet like Venom was a dreadful punishment. The Teruvians had unexpectedly just showed up, not only now in the present, but also back in their past attack against Pepper and _Saturna._ There was absolutely no warning of their appearance, but even Fox admitted that it was a good tactical plan. _There is nothing better than a good ambush. Classic,_ he thought. What was in store for all the entire population of the Lylat System? That spherical weapon that blasted all that energy would have been devastating to Star Fox and the Cornerian and Katinan Fleet if not for Krystal's perception of the weapon's abilities. Fox feared that this weapon wasn't the only thing that the Teruvians hid in secrecy. The Teruvians might be even more technologically advanced than the Lylatians; their ships shielding power and the spherical weapon can prove this theory, but only to some extent. If there was anything that one shouldn't do during a battle, it would be to not underestimate his opponent and to cautiously watch every move that he does. All of these thoughts made his mind spin; however, there was one other question that topped the rest. For some reason he couldn't take his mind off of this particular happening. Maybe it was because of how the act was so unanticipated, or maybe it was because she was a teammate. What was the reason for Krystal's abduction? He was completely puzzled by the Teruvians sudden interest in her, and the whole situation bothered him to the point where he was about to go mad. Undoubtedly the reason this kidnap troubled him so much was because of the affection that he had for the beautiful vixen. Sure, the other reasons McCloud had thought of were plausible enough, but this was unquestionably why he was so irritated. He felt anger towards the one who had ordered Krystal's kidnapping. Before rage started to build up within him he calmly relaxed. Now was simply not the time. _I should try and contact her again. Maybe she found out a reason for all this. Now how do I get in touch with her again…? _He thought for a second._ Might as well try the simplest way... _He closed his eyes and concentrated hard, calling out for Krystal through his mind. _…Krystal? Are you there?_ He waited a few moments but had no response. _Maybe I'm not concentrating hard enough…_ He tried a few more times, but after several tries he just gave up. He sighed heavily. All this thinking was making his head hurt. He decided that taking a shower would calm his mind. For some reason, ever since a young age Fox had always found comfort in taking showers. The hot, streaming water seemed to soothe him. He needed one anyways; he was sweaty and dirty from dealing with the Arwing repairs.

He gradually stood up and stretched a bit before heading towards his private bathroom. After removing his clothes Fox stepped in the shower and turned on the water. The steaming, hot streams made a sensation of tranquility flow throughout Fox's body and mind. As he let the water soak his fur, he let go of all the stress and tried to relax. But even in this state of apparent relaxation Fox couldn't help but continue to think about Krystal. He could not stop thinking about her. Not that this was a bad thing. Everything about the vixen made him smile; her complexion, her incredible kindness, her serene beauty, her joyful personality, even her smile made him melt inside. One look at her and Fox felt as if he were the luckiest guy in the entire Lylat system. He felt so incredibly blessed to have Krystal in his presence. Her acceptance of a position on Star Fox made Fox feel even more grateful. The thought of having no Krystal in his life was just too unthinkable for him. He couldn't believe that a feeling this strong could accumulate in a matter of a few weeks. He just hoped that she felt the same about him, but he very much doubted it. _Someone like Krystal deserves a better person than me… I can't even protect her… _

Suddenly the PA system of the ship went off, interrupting the thoughts of the vulpine. "Hey Fox, just wanted to let you know that I've completed repairs on the prototype and have installed it into all the Arwings. We're all waiting in the bridge for the briefing." It was the voice of Slippy. Fox sighed, his feeling of relaxation gone. "Alright Slippy, I'll be there in a few." Fox turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, grabbing a towel off the rack to dry himself. He glanced at the clock that was above the entrance to the bathroom; it was already 5:35 PM._ Whoa, I've been in the shower a good twenty minutes… Must have lost track of time. _ After combing down his fur a bit, he stepped out of the bathroom knowing exactly what he was going to wear. After walking into his closet, Fox put on a pair of black sneaking pants and a black long-sleeved shirt, and slipped on his favorite combat boots. He placed an earpiece into his ear and synched it with his wrist communicator so that only he could hear the voice that was coming through from the other side of the communication line. Otherwise, without the earpiece the communicator might inadvertently give his position away, because it usually projected the voice through a speaker. After making sure his communicator was working correctly Fox opened a cabinet that had several weapons in it; it was Fox's own personal armory. He kept a few unique weapons in there. But since he was going on a stealth mission, there would be no such for such things. Instead he grabbed two blasters and placed them in their holsters, both located on the side of each of his thighs. He grabbed a utility belt and placed several plasma grenades and ammo clips on it. The grenades were only a safety precaution, and he would only use them in a desperate situation. He slipped on a small backpack just in case he needed to carry any larger objects. He slipped the utility belt beneath his underarm and over his shoulder so that it was slung across his chest. Before Fox left the closet, he grabbed his father's old combat knife, something that the vulpine always carried whenever he left the ship no matter where he went. "Better safe than sorry", the vulpine had always kept in mind. He slipped it into a sheath that was attached to his waist. After gathering everything that he needed, Fox headed towards the bridge for the briefing. In a matter of moments he walked under the threshold to the bridge. Indeed everyone was already there, waiting for their captain to arrive.

"Alright team," Fox said immediately while walking towards the group, "I've already told you how I am going to infiltrate into the Teruvian commanding ship now known as the _Royale._" He looked towards Slippy. "Slippy, I assume that you have hacked their databases by now and that you have the ship's interior layout mapped out."

"Of course Fox. It took a while, but I got through." The toad took something off the computer terminal and handed it to Fox. "Here you go. I've downloaded the layout onto this chip," He informed, "Just insert it into your communicator and _viola,_ you have everything you need. I've studied that map, and it appears that the brig is near the lower part of the ship, more towards the back near the engines. Your communicator should show you the shortest possible route you can take." Fox acknowledged this information by simply nodding his head.

"Alright, thanks Slippy. I should be back with Krystal before you know it," he said with poise. His expression then turned serious. "But if things go wrong, I need you all to give as much support as you can. Mainly you, Falco. If I run into some trouble on the way out of the ship, I want you to come and help out. Just activate stealth on the Arwing so you can get through the Teruvian patrols. Most of them will probably be busy with me, so it'll be easy."

"Whatever, Fox. I saved your ass once fighting Andross, so I sure as hell can take care of a few boogies on your tail," The avian said with a smirk.

"Your never going to let off of it, are you Falco…" Fox chuckled, still a little embarrassed from that incident. Suddenly Peppy had remembered some important information that he had meant to tell Fox a while ago.

"Fox, I almost forgot. I've contacted Evans and let him know of your plan," Peppy notified, "He's gonna make sure that no one will follow you after you cross through the Cornerian boundary, so you don't have to worry."

"Thank you Peppy, I didn't even think about that," said Fox, grateful to hear this information. It was one more thing that he didn't have to worry about. "Ok guys, I think I'm ready," Fox stated. "I got the map layout and a backup plan, so we're set."

"Good luck Fox, I only hope for the best for both you and Krystal," said Peppy positively.

"Yeah, keep an eye on yourself. Try not to get too cocky like frog-boy over here." Falco said, pointing his thumb over his shoulder at Slippy. The toad turned a slight shade of red, but turned away from the team so that know one would see.

"Thanks guys, I'll be just fine," he assured. "Alright Slippy, lets go." Fox turned and headed towards the elevator with Slippy following close behind. They both entered the lift and the doors closed. "Docking bay," The two said simultaneously. Slippy twiddled with his thumbs as the lift descended towards the destination. He felt a small sensation of discomfort as he stood there with his companion.

"Man, I gotta tell you Fox, Falco can be such a jerk sometimes," Slippy mentioned as they continued to descend down the elevator shaft. Fox laughed quietly.

"I know what you mean. But I've learned to live with it. I've been around him so much that I just got used to his remarks and all the other crap he says."

"Yeah… Well, I try to live with it but it seems that he always picks on me the most," said Slippy.

"Like I said Slip, you just have to ignore him sometimes. Most of the time he's just trying to entertain himself anyways," Fox pointed out. Finally the elevator made a confirmation sound that let them know that Fox and Slippy have reached their destination, and the lift doors slid open revealing the enormous docking bay of the Great Fox. After exiting the lift Slippy walked towards a few crates and pulled out two objects, then returned to Fox's side.

"Ok Fox, I have two things for you," the toad revealed.

"Wait, you have _two _things for me?" the vulpine asked, a little confused.

"Yeah, two things." Slippy reached into a bag that was resting on a table that was right next to him. He pulled out a device that looked similar to the wrist communicator, but the interface was different. It didn't have as many buttons on it. "Right here is the mobile stealth unit. Just slip it onto your forearm and tap the touch control screen to go become invisible. To deactivate it just simply press it again." After slipping the unit onto his left arm, Fox tested it out and tapped the screen. He appeared to dissolve into thin air, and was completely undetectable. After this little test he tapped the unit and he reappeared just as he had disappeared, visible once again.

"Looks like it is in working order, which is good to know," Slippy said in a whisper to no one in particular. "The battery on the unit should last a good three hours, which I hope will give you plenty of time to do your mission. Oh, hold on…" He reached into the bag once more and pulled out another stealth unit. "Here is the other unit you asked for Krystal to use."

"Awesome, Slip, thanks a lot." He grabbed the apparatus and placed it in the small backpack that he carried on his back. "Now, what's the other thing you wanted to show me?" asked Fox curiously.

"Heh, you're gonna love this, Fox." The toad pulled out of his pocket a small, palm-sized pentagonal device that shown a small, blue light in the middle. "This is a reflector," Slippy stated. "When you activate and hold the button that is right here," He pointed to a small red button that was located on the side of the reflector, "A shield will form around you that will protect you from practically any projectile, even something as lethal as a standard homing missile." The amphibian handed the device to Fox, who inspected it with a peculiar interest. "Here, let's try it out," Slippy suggested eagerly. "Go ahead and press that button."

Listening to Slippy's words he pressed it, not knowing what exactly to expect. Immediately a sapphire, pentagonal shield developed around him. The reflector shield vibrated rigorously as it was active. Meanwhile Slippy had picked up a wrench and prepared to through it at Fox. "You shouldn't be able to feel this," Slippy said to Fox's relief. The toad then threw the wrench hard, and it followed a wobbly path until it struck the reflector. Reacting to the wrench, the reflector's shield enlarged and then retracted rapidly as it was hit, causing the wrench to instantly bounce back to the spot where Slippy was standing. The toad however knew that this was going to happen, and had already stepped out of the way. The wrench finally hit the ground, sliding backwards until friction made it come to a complete stop. Fox was amazed by this new gadget; he had never really seen anything like it.

"This is amazing, Slippy! Did you design this?" Fox asked elatedly while releasing the button. The sapphire shield disappeared instantly.

"Well, I built it with the help of my dad. He designed the blueprints for it, and I helped him build it. Supposedly this device is going to be used in the military for special ops, but they haven't been mass produced yet because of some technical issues with the energy releaser... Luckily I was able to grab a few and fix them myself easily," the toad said with a hint of contentment in his voice. "I was able to get a total of seven, one for each of us, including Peppy. So that leaves us with two extra, just in case."

"Well, give my thanks to Beltino when you get the chance. Personally I love this thing," Fox said enthusiastically. After inspecting it for another moment, he attached the reflector to his belt. "Just remember one thing about the reflector, Fox: it can't deflect thick, linear-based weapons such as the Cornerian Laser X12. But it will work with thinner ones, like the phaser setting of a multi-blaster." The Cornerian Laser X12 was a weapon that fired an intense, straight beam of plasma energy, and the reflector couldn't handle such a high amount of power. The phaser setting of a multi blaster, however, fires a thin stream laser that is only about a half-inch thick. "And make sure," Slippy made sure to emphasize his next few words, "that you do _not_ keep the reflector active for too long while under a heavy amount of fire. I can't stress how important this is. If the shield is under pressure for an exceedingly extended amount of time, the shield will break and the device will have to recharge for 30 minutes. I'd say you could probably last about one to two minutes max before the reflector will give out, and you'll know its about to die when you see the shield turn a slight reddish color."

"Alright, I'll keep that in mind," Fox said as he tapped the temple area on his head.

"Anyways, I also have a few more projects that I'm working on that will benefit the team with ground missions," Slippy said as Fox adjusted his belt.

"Oh? And what are they?" Fox asked, intrigued.

"Well, I was going to keep it a secret and surprise you guys, but since this whole Teruvian thing came up I decided that it would be best to let you know. The first project is codenamed FireFox, and the second Ghost Illusion. I've been working on them for quite awhile, ever since the…" But Fox had absent-mindedly tuned Slippy out and wasn't listening. He had heard a quiet voice travel throughout his head, the voice of a certain beautiful vixen. He wasn't quite sure if she was actually him speaking to him telepathically, but the voice kept on repeating, the same words reiterated over and over again. _This could not be happening… This could not be happening… _Fox didn't know what the words had meant, but he knew that she was in trouble.

"I'm sorry, Slippy," Fox interrupted, "I need to leave, now. I suddenly have this bad feeling…" The amphibian saw the anxiousness in Fox's expression, and felt sympathy for his friend. He knew from that look that Fox was really worried about Krystal.

"Oh, don't worry about it. I can tell you about the projects later," Slippy said, cutting off Fox as he spoke. "Well, good luck Fox. Keep in mind, we're all here to support you."

"Thanks buddy. I'll see you later, Slippy." Fox grinned, giving his friend a high-five as he walked past him to his Arwing. The vulpine climbed into the cockpit and closed the canopy. Soon the engine roared to life, and Fox ran pre-flight procedures to make sure all was well within the many systems of the Arwing. After everything came up clean, he was ready to launch. He inhaled and exhaled to try and help calm the unusual nervousness that he had developed. "Well, here we go," said Fox. The lift-locks were released, and the arm launcher sent him flying past the transparent environmental barrier and into space. He steadied his gravity blades and G-diffusers and soon activated stealth. His ship progressively became invisible, and soon was nowhere to be seen. Aboard the Great Fox on the bridge, a small red dot that had indicated Fox's position suddenly disappeared. Peppy had noticed it and decided to relay the info to Fox. "Alright Fox, the sensors can't detect you anymore, so I'm assuming you're in stealth mode. Just remember that you can't use your weapons at anytime while in stealth, as doing so can wreck the weapon and stealth system and cause a lockdown of the ship."

"Will do, gramps. Fox out." He cut the communication, and then activated the ship thrusters. He sped forward, audaciously advancing into Teruvian space territory, determined to rescue the love of his life.

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LGstryker

(A/N) Alright, so the next chapter is already about ¾ of the way done. We'll go in and explore the relationship that Krystal and Sacohva had share together, and what had happened in the past. We'll also obviously see what happens with Fox's stealth rescue mission. Things are about to get bumpy. Thank you very much for all of your awesome reviews, I am thankful for them.


	11. XI: Untold Truths

Alright, so here's numba 11. This chapter made my wrists kinda sore, so I really hope that you enjoyed it just as much as I have (that is, until my wrists started to hurt). There is a huge flashback scene for Krystal, explaining what had happened during her final moments on Cerinia. It's kinda violent, but nothing you can't handle. That's why this fic is only rated T (at the moment). I think that this is one of the longest chapters I have written thus far. But of course, I got stuck while writing this, so I went off and started another Star Fox fic. Heh. Check it out if you want; it's under my profile, named _Plague of Shadows._ Name might change, it depends on how the story will flow. It's an experimental fic, but I'm pretty sure that I'm gonna go on with it. It'll give me something to do when I get writer's block for this story, and I guess vice versa. Oh, and I've decided to split this chapter into two parts, just because I want to get some material to you as quick as possible. Sorry Fox, but you'll have to wait till the next chapter.

Enjoi. (vvvvvvvvvv see below if you're Jazzy)

(haha ignore this if you're not Jazzy, just a shout-out to this person) Hey Jazzy! Look, it's done! Six months of writer's block later, I've finally done it. (hehe it wasn't all writer's block but watev) I will help you with your writing to, just contact me whenever you need help and I'll be happy to assist you. Lots o' love.

**Star Fox**

**  
Desperate Measures**

Chapter 11

**Untold Truths**

At this point Krystal had become completely speechless. She was undoubtedly in a state of trepidation and uncertainty. How was her brother, her one and only sibling who she thought had died on Cerinia, standing right in front of her? It was impossible; she was certain he was dead. Krystal stood up slowly and cautiously approached her brother. As far as she could tell, her brother had changed in appearance. The outer edges of his face were cerulean, just as Krystal's face was. The color of his fur transitioned into a snowy, white color around his muzzle. His long, elegant blue hair completely covered his left eye because of the way that it was parted. Only his right eye was exposed for Krystal to see. Krystal stared into the depths of his mystifying, jade eye. She knew it was definitely her brother; yet something important was absent. Something was unusual about him. It wasn't the fact that his appearance had totally changed; Krystal couldn't exactly tell what was so different about Daniel. As she continued to gaze into his eye she saw a hint of compassion, most likely for her. But that was the only hint of any sort of kindness that the vixen could find. Coldness surrounded this tiny feeling of care that her brother held within himself. Krystal felt a peculiar sensation that radiated from his being. His very presence in the room made a slight shiver travel down Krystal's spine, and it wasn't because of the astonishment of discovering that her brother was alive.

"What is wrong, Krystal? Are you still in disbelief?" Her brother asked in a cool tone. Krystal was a bit hesitant, but answered. "No… No I believe that it is you now, Daniel. But… but-"

"-How am I alive?" he concluded. Krystal faintly nodded in agreement. The commander produced a crooked smile. "Come, Krystal, walk with me," he invited, gesturing to the exit of the cell that they were in. "We have much to talk about, I assume." On the outside Daniel was relatively cool about seeing Krystal again. But on the inside he was joyful, so very joyful, to see that his sister was actually amidst his presence. Sacohva exited the cell, his black cloak waving around behind him as he walked away swiftly. Hesitantly, Krystal followed after him. As they walked down one of the many corridors of the _Royale, _crew members noticed that their commander was walking with a vixen. Several of those crew members stared inconspicuously at the two as they walked by.

Krystal felt a tight knot form in her stomach as she walked alongside Daniel. Anxiety built within her as she noticed that many eyes were watching her and Daniel march by. The thought patterns of those crew members were confused, but curious. The awkward quietness that developed between her and Daniel made her feel very tense and uneasy. "Daniel," Krystal suddenly said, trying to break the silence, "Are you going to answer my question?" she reminded. "Of course, Krystal. But first, let us go to my private office. My crew members," He looked irritably at the ones who were staring at them, "Are being a bit nosy at the moment," he said with a hint of aggravation. The crew suddenly returned to their tasks, trying to pretend that they ad been working the entire time. None of them wanted to be on the bad side of the general.

It seemed like they have been walking forever before Daniel and Krystal finally reached his personal office. The ship indeed was as big as it appeared to be from the outside; Krystal estimated about ten minutes of walking. And ten minutes of uncomfortable silence and staring by other Teruvian officers and crew members. She relaxed somewhat as the doors slid open, which in turn revealed a noticeably dark room. The carpet on the floor was a deep shade of burgundy, just as the rest of the office was. Very few lights were on, giving the room an eerie appearance. Shadows covered the majority of the large office room. There were only two small windows, which helped to contribute the little amount of light that was in the room. As they entered, Krystal noticed the different portraits that were hung on the wall. To Krystal, they looked like a variety of different ships; however, because of the dimness of the office the paintings were nearly unidentifiable. There were a few auburn shelves backed up against the wall to the left that contained hundreds of new and old books and encyclopedias that Daniel had collected over the years. In front of those shelves were two, black leather sofas with a small, round coffee table in between.

Krystal and Daniel had at last reached his desk; it was more of an elegantly carved piece of art, really. The wood had tints of light brown here and there, but for the most part it was a solid mahogany color and was beautifully crafted, and was obviously well taken care of. On it was a computer, a few papers and documents on it, and a video intercom and two lamps that sat on either side of the desk. Only one was on, giving the area only a little amount of illumination. Behind the desk on the wall was a very prestigious portrait of the _Royale, _drifting silently in space_. _Daniel went to sit behind his desk in his seemingly comfortable chair. He gestured to one of the two seats that were in front of Krystal. "Please, have a seat Krystal." She obeyed and slowly sat down. The lamp illuminated her face more clearly; it allowed Daniel to study her facial complexion.

"You have grown, Krystal. You look… stunning." The vixen blushed a shade of purple as she heard Daniel's compliment. "Same to you, Daniel…" she replied. He smiled. "Now, I will answer your question, sis," he said in a voice Krystal finally recognized. Daniel had always called her by the name of 'sis' back on Cerinia. He sighed slowly as he dug into the depths of his mind to recover the remnants of his horrifying pastime.

"Do you remember that day on Cerinia, Krystal?"

"Of course… Of course I do, all too vividly," she admitted.

"Tell me what you remember," he requested.

"Well… I remember that it was the Annual Tribal Festival, when suddenly… There were people screaming and running away… Then-then mom grabbed me by the wrist and we started to run in the direction of what I thought was home. But then we- we went…" Tears started to flow from Krystal's eyes as she explained to Daniel her side of the story…

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_Location: __**Planet Cerinia**_

"_Mom! What's happening? Why are we running away?" asked a frightened, younger Krystal. She appeared to be around the age of thirteen or fourteen. Her eyes were filled with horror and confusion as she scanned her surroundings._

"_It's okay, sweetie, it's okay. Everything will be fine. Hold my hand and just don't look back." Theresa held Krystal's hand securely as they ran from the village festival, which was now in complete chaos and pandemonium. The mother vixen looked just as stunning as almost every other Cerinian female; beautiful, cerulean fur… Gorgeous, emerald green eyes that always gleamed with love and compassion… _

_But not today. Today those eyes that were filled with dread, hatred, panic, confusion..._

_Despite her mother's orders, Krystal did look back, and regretted it instantly. Fire was consuming almost everything: the huts, the Cerinian banners, even the Kaska trees that grew the fruits used for ceremonial drinks were terribly scourged. Krystal could've sworn that she saw silhouettes of people flailing around within the burning flames. She saw men clad in some sort of black uniform that were sending out bolts of fire from their strange, foreign weapons. She saw the bolts hit her people, and they fell to the ground, steam rising from the cauterized holes in their bodies. She was absolutely terrified. They continued to run through the thick jungle that covered most of Cerinia's surface. Along the way Jacob, Krystal's father and king of the Cerinians, came into view up ahead. He appeared as if had just returned from a battle; his scarlet cloak was battered and torn, his majestic, blood red outfit that was fitted with gold and jewels was now utterly ruined and scorned. Holes allowed his cerulean fur to puff out a bit. His messy blue hair partially covered his eyes, and he parted it with his right hand in order to see his wife more clearly._

"_Jacob!" Theresa yelled. He apparently had heard her voice as he came running towards his family. He embraced them tightly, not wanting to let go._

"_I'm so glad that you all are not hurt…" he said in a joyous but serious manner. Jacob then kissed Theresa passionately for a few seconds before separating from her._

"_Jacob… What do they want? Why are they here?" Theresa asked innocently. Not wanting Krystal to hear what he was about to say, he leaned towards his wife and whispered into her ear in secrecy for a few moments. Her eyes widened as she finally knew the truth._

"_Oh my god…" She said abruptly, covering her mouth with her hands and a surprised expression. "Do you have it?" The king nodded once. Theresa started to sob. _

"_Why… Why would they do this?" Tears fell from the vixen's eyes. _

"_I don't know..." the king replied. Suddenly Jacob noticed that they were missing someone, someone who he cared for dearly. He looked around the immediate area, but his son was no where to be found._

"_Theresa, where is Daniel?" he asked solemnly. _

"_I… I thought he was with you!" She exclaimed, horrified. Krystal was affected as well. _

"_We have to go back and find him!" Krystal said loudly, bursting into tears. The three of them suddenly heard a huge explosion in the distance. It rocked the area, and birds hurried away from the trees of the forest, frightened by the sound. They turned to see that the village was completely decimated; only the burning flames remained. They could still hear the distant cries of other Cerinians as they were either dying or trying to escape from the men in black._

"_Theresa, we don't have time. We need to get her out of here, now." The vixen was sobbing. She was scared for her son. Jacob was worried as well, but he was right; time was not on their side at the moment._

"_Come, this way!" He picked up Krystal and started to run once more, Theresa following closely behind. After a good five minutes of running and avoiding tree branches and other vegetation, the family of three reached an open expanse. There was a white building in the middle that appeared foreign to Krystal, as she had never seen it before._

_"What's in there?" she asked as they got closer. Jacob felt an emotion of anxiousness. _

"_You'll see, my dear Krystal…" They finally reached the building and entered through the doors. It was deserted. The inside was… alien, at least to Krystal. Her father let her down from his back so that she could walk. The doorway led into a long, white hallway. Incandescent lights lined up on the ceiling went all the way down until they reached the end, where a single double door hid under the shadows, avoiding the light from above. The family ran to this door, and what was behind it completely surprised the young vixen. A small but lengthy metallic structure lay out in front of her in a large room filled with strange mechanical objects and technology that she had never seen before. The view of the room greatly mystified her, but what she was mostly concentrated on was the metallic structure lay out in front of her._

"_Krystal, this is called a space ship. It allows people to travel into space. That is how those uniformed soldiers were able to come here," Jacob explained without looking at his daughter, as he too was staring at the ship._

"_You mean… They're aliens?" _

"_Yes."_

"_Why haven't we traveled out into space yet?" she questioned._

"_Our technology is not as superior as theirs. Our ships are for escape purposes only. We've had contact with a few races, but we've declined their help to modernize Cerinia… Anyways, we have refuge ships like this all over the planet." Krystal's eyes widened, shocked to find out that space travel was actually possible. She realized that her and her family was going to escape Cerinia... Into space. The ever expansive sky that she often gazed into… The place that she thought resembled a back-lit canopy with holes punched in it, the holes being the stars that lit up the night sky. The thought of it all bewildered her mind._

"_But… Daniel…" Krystal started to sob again._

"_I'm sorry… But we have to leave, Krystal. Come, let us go." Jacob led what was left of his family into the compact ship. About halfway to the ship, Jacob's ears twitched. He had heard something._

"_Get in the ship! Hurry!" Suddenly the double doors slammed open, and the men in black uniforms stormed through. _

"_Don't move!" They yelled. Then they open fired. Jacob formed a protective barrier in front of him using his powers just before the bolts struck them. The barrier deflected the lasers, sending them all over the humongous room. Some of the soldiers were killed with there own laser fire._

"_Go!" Jacob faced the soldiers, walking backwards in front of his family to keep them safe. He was having a hard time holding up the barrier; there were just so many of them firing at once. He could read the thought patterns of about twenty soldiers, all determined to take him down. He was already feeling tired. Then, he did something that he would heavily regret for the rest of the time he was alive; he let the barrier decrease for a moment because the continuous stress from the laser fire made him weak. In turn, to his utter dismay, his wife was openly exposed._

_Then three bolts struck her from behind._

"_THERESA! NO!" Jacob cried in agony as he watched his wife in horror. Her body twitched as each laser burned through her backside. She glanced at her husband and daughter one last time, love and pain visible in her eyes, before falling to the ground, dead, with a pool of blood slowly forming around her._

"_MOMMY! MOMMY!" Krystal shouted, tears flowing like a river. She wanted so badly to go back to her, but she would immediately be exposed to the bolts of fire that had killed her beloved mother. Jacob had to keep moving to the entrance of the ship._

"_Krystal, please keep up and stay close!" Jacob ordered. Tears were streaming down his face as well. He had no idea that it would come down to this. The father and daughter were finally at the beginning of the ramp that led into the escape ship. And then the Cerinian king suddenly became extremely exhausted. Overcome with fatigue, he fell to his knees. He kept his hands up as he struggled to keep the barrier intact. Sweat drenched his blue fur; tiny droplets of the salty liquid traveled down to the tips of his fur and dropped to the cold ground below._

"_Kr- Krystal… Go-into-the ship!" he struggled to say. _

"_But father, what about you!" she demanded._

"_I- can't-h-hold this b-barrier any longer! GO!" he roared. The uniformed soldiers came closer, still firing their weapons. Krystal, despite how agonizing it felt, obeyed her father. She ran up the ramp into the ship. She ignored her fascination with the technology as she approached the foreign controls of the ship's bridge, not knowing what to do._

'_Krystal.' A familiar voice echoed in her head. Mind connections. Her father had done this with her before._

'_Father! You _have_ to get in the ship,' she pleaded. 'I don't know what to do!' _

'_I will guide- augh… I will guide you through the process fr-from out here. Lis-listen closely. In the middle section of where you are, there should be a g-green, blue, and r-red button, and a l-lever.' Krystal scanned the terminal and she indeed found what her father had described._

'_Okay, now what?' she thought._

'_Argh! P-press th- the green button!'_

'_Father! Are you okay?'_

'_Just press the button!' he ordered. The young vixen could hear the ferocity in her father's 'voice'. When Krystal pushed it, the ship suddenly vibrated as it roared to life. _

'_Good, Krystal! N-now press the red button!' She did as she was told, and suddenly the rooftop of the building folded out, revealing the expansive blue skies of Cerinia. Suddenly more soldiers ran in to replace the dead ones that were hit with backfire._

'_Ok-okay! Now, rai-raise t-the le-lever to 25 p-p-percent!' Jacob was struggling so hard just to talk through his _mind_. Though she could feel her father's increasing anguish, she reluctantly followed his command. She grabbed the lever and carefully and slowly shifted the lever to the quarter mark. The ship jolted unexpectedly, and she realized that she was hovering above the ground._

'_Good… good Krystal… There is one last thing you- you m-must do. When you are clear of-of the building, increase the lever t-to full power, and p-press the blue button. Y-you will be guided into s-space.' Jacob winced, his powers gradually diminishing. 'Ther-there is a s-ship manu-manual s-somwhere- augh!- onboard that ship. T-the rest is u-up to you, my dear Krystal…' The young vixen could tell that he was crying, but not out of sadness. _

'_I'm so proud of you… may the gods bless and protect you, my daughter… I-I love you, Kry-' he didn't have the chance to finish his thought. Then suddenly Krystal could no longer feel the mind connection. She looked down via the bridge viewport, and she witnessed something that she would remember the rest of her life. Her father let go of the barrier, and the soldiers suddenly ceased fire. They slowly approached Jacob, who fell down on all four of his limbs, breathing heavily. One of the soldiers walked up to him kicked him in the stomach, and the king flipped and landed on his back. The others laughed at the now fallen Cerinian king, who writhed in pain as they continued to beat him down. Then something green fell out of Jacob's small pouch that was attached to his waist. They all stopped, astounded to see the mysterious object. It shined a bright emerald color after it hit the ground. Curiously one of the soldiers picked it up very carefully. Jacob tried to reach over and grab it back, only to be kicked back down. The soldier's face lit in excitement as he recognized it and he immediately gestured to another soldier; probably a higher ranked officer. The soldier handed it to the officer, who, after observing it, produced a nasty, crooked smile. The officer then gestured towards Jacob, who was still lying on the ground, holding his stomach in pain. Another soldier ran up to him. He aimed his gun at Jacob's head._

_And he fired._

"_NOOO!" Krystal cried. It was the worst thing that Krystal had ever witnessed, would probably ever witness. She saw her father's head explode into a bloody mess, practically right in front of her; blood and brains splattered the floor because the soldier had his weapon set to full power. His body fell limp as his life ceased to exist. And then Krystal's ship flew so far into the skies that she could no longer see what was happening. She slumped in a chair. Her entire family, gone within the timeframe of a day. Mom, dad, Daniel… She tried to cry, but there were more no tears left to shed. The young vixen stared absently as the ship broke through the atmosphere of Cerinia. The violent rumbles ceased as the ship was no longer under the strong gravitational pull of Cerinia. Normally the expansiveness of space would've awed her. But she felt as if nothing could save her from the overwhelming misery that engulfed her entire being. She shifted her view to the left, and a humongous silver ship caught her eye. Now a little curious, she sat up to watch the ship as she floated by. Krystal observed some smaller ships that were flying into an opening of the larger silver ship. 'What's going on?' she thought. Soon, Krystal was so far away from the silver ship that it appeared as a tiny dot next to Cerinia, which now looked like the size of a golf ball. She continued to watch her home planet grow smaller and smaller. She was entranced by how beautiful the glowing sphere looked from space; she had never really seen anything like it at all. She could see all fourteen years of her life there; all the times of joyfulness, of sorrow, of ritual dancing and celebration, her friends, her family… She smiled. The vixen managed to squeeze one more tear to fall from her beautiful sapphire eyes. _

_And then Cerinia exploded._

_It was all gone; everything she had ever lived for was gone, disintegrated along with her home. The intense light of the energy backwash almost blinded her; she covered her face with her arms to shield her eyes from the burn of what was once her life. And when she realized that the light was gone, she looked back and watched the tiny chunks of her home drift away into space. It reminded her of her own existence; once it was full, but now it was shattered into a million pieces, never to be the same again._

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The vixen hadn't realized that she looked a complete mess; her face was drenched with the tears of her pastime. Daniel sat there, completely shocked with what he had just heard. Memories of his own time on _Cerinia_ flooded into his mind, and they burned like multiple hot branding irons pressed against his body. He stood up and went to sit next to Krystal, who was sitting in her chair with a blank expression plastered on her face.

"Krystal?"

"…Huh?" she answered dully.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah… Just... All that time I thought you were dead. All that time I thought that I had no family left. That I was the only one who had survived. And-and then you appear…" she started to sob.

"Hey, Krystal. Come on, it's alright. I'm right here," he said with sincerity, trying to comfort her. A flood of past memories filled his mind as he sat there with his sister. For the first time in a long time, Daniel felt compassion. He felt pity. And most of all, he felt regret. He regretted that he wasn't with his sister and parents back on Cerinia. Even in his childhood Daniel was a strong Cerinian; his powers were almost up to par with one of the elders of the tribe. He could have helped his parents survive. It was a sure probability that they could've been alive and standing with him and Krystal today.

He scooted his chair right next to hers and embraced her. A feeling of guilt knotted up in his stomach. He felt terrible that his sister had to go through all this. His mood had completely changed. If a Teruvian officer were to walk in and see him like this, Daniel would probably have to kill him just so that he wouldn't spread around rumors about the softness that Daniel had within himself. It was silent for the next few minutes as Daniel continued to hold Krystal in his arms. The only thing that could be heard was Krystal's quiet sniffling and the hum of the _Royale's _engine.

Suddenly, an image of a certain orange vulpine flashed in the vixen's mind. Her eyes widened, and she returned to reality. A moment from the future had unexpectedly appeared in her mind.

She then realized that Fox was coming, and coming quickly.

"Daniel… I wanted to ask you something…"

"Of course. What is it?"

"Why are you invading the Lylat, Daniel? What is the purpose?" She asked innocently. The commander let go of his sister, a little confused at the sudden change of Krystal's mood. But he answered her anyways.

"Krystal, our system resources are quickly being depleted. In the Garrack system, there are only three inhabitable planets; _Teruvia, Devinia, _and_ Tantune (pronounced Tan-too-nay)._ _Teruvia _Is much like your planet, _Corneria._ It acts as the system's central systematic home and is the crucial core for economic, political, and military operations. It also contains the Garrack Union Council, where many essential political decisions are made; they also help control the governments of our secondary planets _Devinia _and_ Tantune._" Daniel hesitated for a moment before he spoke once more. "Also, Krystal, _Teruvia_ is dying... Our scientists have reported that the planet has, for some strange reason, began to slowly deteriorate. And it's becoming much more apparent; the weather has been abnormally different and there have been more frequent natural disasters happening around the planet. However, our scientists have also discovered a secret in the Lylat; something vastly powerful that will be able to save _Teruvia_. We are here to find this secret. But, if we do not find it in time, which seems very plausible at the moment, our fallback plan is to conquer the Lylat and begin a new life here."

_Something… Vastly powerful…?_

"Why the Lylat, though? Our system is so far away from yours."

"The journey is worth the effort. Your system is alive and prosperous; many of the planets are inhabitable and contain many resources. I also understand that one of them is undergoing a planetary reformation; the more the better." Daniel suddenly became ridged and tense, seemingly returning to his original state of before he met with his sister.

"So Krystal… Are you willing to join us in this conquest? You will still be living in the Lylat system, rest assured. You can come and live with me, and together we will watch this system grow, watch it become accustomed to Teruvian standards and customs. This system will develop greatly with Teruvian influence! It will make it better!" Clearly the general was prideful about this.

Krystal was taken aback by this question. The Lylat, her one and only home, along with Star Fox, the team that she considered her family… Conquered by the Teruvians? She didn't have to think twice about it, she didn't want it to happen. Her chance encounter with Fox on Sauria ignited a brand new life for her, a life that she happily accepted in contrast to her dark and terrible past. A life that held promises, hopes and dreams. A life that, hopefully, would include Fox. She was forever in his debt, anyways; he saved her life. He was the one to happily accept her into the team, teach her how to fly and Arwing, introduced her to the grandeur city of Corneria City (something that Krystal never even imagined existed), showed her Cornerian customs, foods, fashions, technology… He literally introduced this new life, and what would happen if the Teruvians were to suddenly barge in and change this life that she knew? She loved this life, it was incredible. It filled her with a feeling of euphoria that she had never felt before, and she didn't want that feeling to disappear.

"Daniel… It's truly, truly amazing that we have met once more, and I am so incredibly happy to know that you are alive… But I don't think that I can do this. The Lylat has offered me so much, and I am so thankful that this new life has been revealed to me. I can't, I won't..." Daniel stared blankly at the saddened vixen in confusion. "I'm sorry Daniel…" A silence filled the general's office, an eerily dark silence that filled Krystal with grief. She could sense a feeling build up within her brother; it was a mix of emotions… She picked up rejection, pain, sadness… But one emotion seemed to stand out the most; a sensation of anger and rage. Those feelings of pity, regret, compassion… They had all but disappeared. The vulpine felt enraged. He could not tolerate this refusal, especially by his own sister. Did she not even care that he was the only real family that she had left? Did she not even care about his wanting to once again develop a relationship together, after so many years?

"Krystal, how could you say such a thing? We see each other once again… Brother and sister united after a long period of excruciating separation! And this is how you greet me? With rejection? This system will not suffer much, if at all, if it were to fall under our influence! Things will change, yes, but change is expected, it is inevitable! A fact that I see you have yet to understand." Daniel slowly walked around his desk, away from Krystal. He had her back turned to her as he looked up and stared at the painting of his beautiful ship. "We had to acknowledge the fact that our planet, our system was dying, a 'change' that we had accepted. We had to find some way of figuring out how we would get out of such a tragedy… We knew that starting anew would be the best option, to rebuild what was broken." Anger was clearly evident in his voice; his kind nature had disappeared, and was now fully replaced by the attitude of General Sachova, Teruvian commander. "Not only that, but this system… It _needs_ our help." The vixen was confused at her brother's escalating anger. Was this that peculiar feeling that she felt when she first met him? He was much more prone to violence and anger then before, and he seemed to become upset over the slightest wrong thing. Krystal was able to reveal Daniel's old self briefly, but it was no match for what he had become. A hardened heart, a careless soul, a spiteful being overall… What had happened to him?

"Daniel, I'm sorry, I really am! The Lylat doesn't deserve anymore trouble, it's had to deal with enough already! And how does it need your help? It's been able to resolve most of its problems effectively. I've- "

"Enough!" Daniel's booming voice seemed silenced Krystal. But what actually silenced her was the powerful backhanded slap that the general inflicted upon the vixen. She fell to the floor in pain, holding her left cheek with her hands. She looked up at him in complete shock, still unable to comprehend what had just happened. "Resolve its problems… effectively? I've researched a bit, and it seems that the Lylat has always had to depend on your so called Star Fox team. A single team consisting of four members, able to take down the entire Venomian armada, while the Cornerian military was unable to do so? That seems… Inefficient. I'm sorry Krystal, but… You have changed, and changed for the worst. This system has affected your way of thinking." He tapped on his communications terminal, and spoke into it. "Come, bring Krystal back to the brig." A confirmation came from the other side, and soon two soldiers came in and took Krystal by her arms. The poor vixen was just too shocked to believe what her brother had become to resist them. Her will to move was drained; the guards had to drag her out of the office. As she was taken away, she stared at her brother blankly. Sacohva could only look away as he watched the soldiers escort her out of his office.

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Hehe, finally eh? Done with this chapter. I'm glad that I've been able to finish it, and I hope you've enjoyed it. Anyways, definitely in the next chapter Fox will finally be entering the chapter. More Fox=more action in most cases, so yeah. See ya next round.

LilGstryker


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